He Fell from the Sky
by TheBatKid
Summary: After a strange vessel falls from the sky, a discovery is made. One that will make the Avengers question not only themselves, but the world around them. Steve and Tony pairing as story continues though not main focus of the story. Sequel is now up (Crimson Shades).
1. Stranger Than Fiction

He Fell from the Sky

The Avengers had been called into the meeting room of Stark Tower. It was late, about three in the morning, and they were all grumbling with tiredness as they took their seats. Two special agents stood either side of a covered object, holding over a red sheet as a man wearing a white lab coat started to speak. Tony snorted at all of his words.

"As we all know, a while ago, a strange object fell to earth. The impact was so great it totalled a whole field and destroyed several prospering farming settlements, but that's not why we're here," he began before Steve interrupted him.

"Why could this not have waited until morning? Everyone is too tired to deal with some alien stuff," he moaned whilst rubbing his eyes. Cups of steaming coffee were brought to them with the hope that it might revive them slightly, although the scientist was sure he would soon have their undivided attention.

"Well, not only is the object made out of some foreign metal we have not seen before, it was also barely scratched on impact. It looks sort of like a time-capsule that kids bury in the ground and forget about for the next twenty years," he waved his hand over the sheet before pulling it down to reveal an oval-shaped silver object balanced precariously on a stand.

Bruce immediately leaned forward and peered at the metal container as if he were decoding its secrets. His eyes narrowed whilst he touched its cold surface, and he nodded to Tony.

"I haven't seen anything like this before...I suppose in this line of work that's considered ordinary," he chuckled to himself lightly before taking a sip of his coffee, "So what do we have to do? Do you want us to find out what sort of metal it's made out of? You'd have a better time asking Thor if it's from space."

The scientist opened his mouth again before Tony cut in, "Ask Thor? If it's not made to smash and destroy, chances are he doesn't know anything about it."

"Hold your tongue, I have been learning the ways of your primeval science," snapped the God-like Asguardian from the other side of the table. He had set his hammer down lightly on its dark-brown shiny surface and had quickly drunk the coffee in front of him in a super-sized polystyrene cup.

"Not important right now," the agent closest to the window quickly said, "We don't need to know what the metal is. Well, we do, but that's not the most important thing right now. We need to find out what's inside it – we know it's a container of some sort."

The whole team had quickly become more interested in the metal thing from space. They looked at it closely as Bruce prodded and poked it, trying his best to open it, although without sufficient knowledge of the object or its origins he was sure there would be no hope.

"I would like to propose a course of action," Tony said before standing up and walking calmly up to it. All eyes were on the billionaire as he leaned over the container, took a few seconds to glance over it and, making a few tutting noises, whacked it on its side.

Suddenly, it gave a great hiss. It split in half quickly as smoke billowed out of it and it made a few whirring noises. The team leaned back slightly; it was like it had just jumped out of a sci-fi movie.

"Well done Mr. Stark!" The scientist praised amongst the loud noises, although he was talking to thin air as the genius had sprinted away back to his seat. When the smoke cleared and the container finally fully opened, it looked slightly like a funny-shaped egg. Half of it sat above the object, on some sort of hinge, whilst the bottom half still sat solidly on the stand. Whatever was inside, the people were working up the nerve to go and see.

"I vote that Bruce does it," Tony said quickly. The team replied almost instantly with claps and cheers, pushing the half-man half-monster towards it and encouraging him to take the first look. He irritably looked over his shoulder and, breathing out a nervous sigh, peered into the opened metal object.

"Oh my..." his voice trailed off. His eyes widened and his shaking hands stilled as they reached forward and took the thing from the alien vessel.

Black Widow jumped forward before he could pull it out and looked down as well. A smile suddenly stretched on her confused, frightened face, and she turned back to the team.

"Look at the little visitor!"

They turned to Bruce, who was now cradling whatever had been inside. A few members gasp whilst Steve got up and rushed towards his team mate.

A small child rested in his arms, sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened, with a soft blue blanket wrapped around his torso. He looked about two or three in human years, but under the circumstances they did not assume he was human at all. He must have been from a very similar race far off in the distance...but why had they sent this small child by himself? What could have happened to his people that they felt the need?

"He fell? From the sky? How is that even possible – he looks just like us!" Steve said as he took the child from Bruce's arms, "What are you going to do with him now?"

The special agents moved forward and seized the child. They filed out of the room quickly whilst the scientist began to pack up the vessel and excitedly stammer about the discovery. The Avengers jumped up quickly, watching the agents leave, and said loudly together, "Where are you taking him?"

"He's going to be contained. We need to find out where he's come from and if he's a danger to us, so we're taking him to a special facility. He'll be isolated and taken away from anything he could use as a weapon or a means of escape," the man said airily as he made his way to the door, "We also wanted to invite you to come and help us examine him. We'll be taking DNA samples tomorrow and we could use your expertise, Mr. Banner."

"The rest of us are coming too. We're going to make sure you don't do anything to hurt him." Steve cut in sharply and glared at the man. He could not say he fully trusted them to be gentle with the child; they might just hurt him over and over without caring to make sure he was comfortable.

"Fine, fine, you can all come," he replied before leaving the door. Thor suddenly shouted a question out as he left.

"What are you going to do to him if he is perceived as a threat?"

The scientist froze. Slowly, he turned around and looked the Asguardian straight in the eye. He swore he could see a glint of intimidation in the lab-coated man but it was gone in an instant.

"If there is any indication that he is a threat, or that he is going to bring a war to the earth," he slowly said, "We're going to kill him."

With that, he bounded out of the room and vanished through Stark Tower. Thor shouted after him, trying to get his point across, although the scientist had disappeared and he was simply shouting at thin air.

They all turned to Steve with shock in their eyes. Even Tony found himself lost for words after the discovery, and even more so after they heard of the intentions if the child was found to be a threat. He stared at them too with a blank face, before shaking his head and replacing his vacant expression with one of determination.

"They're not going to hurt him," he said, "Not while we're around."


	2. Morals make the Man

The team had barely slept that night. Bruce was especially nervous about the next day; the idea of experimenting on something that looked so much like a human child seemed inhumane to him, but there was hardly anything they could do. He kept telling himself that it was an alien, not a child – it wasn't working however. He kept seeing the small little face when he had opened the container.

He remembered the soft features and the little toga-like material draped over his body. It had been ripped; as if it were put on in a hurry or it had caught on something during his journey. Although he could not deny the prospect of experimenting on an alien life-form that seemed to closely relate to humans was exciting, he felt that his scientific side and his moral side were doing battle in his head. He wanted to examine the child, and he wanted to save the child. It was a difficult position to be in.

Steve was also fearful for the fate of the boy. The leader was nervous that they would make a mistake and kill him, only to later discover there was no threat. He didn't even want him to be killed if there was a threat, because it meant that the animalistic nature of humanity had not been erased over time; it had simply masked itself behind fancy gadgets and high-tech equipment.

The next day was a rush. They dragged their tired bodies towards the special science facility early in the morning without eating breakfast, all except for Tony who arrived an hour later with a McDonald's bag in hand. He grinned at his team members as they sat in a pristine white room and snacked on his fast food.

"I can't believe you can stand to eat," Black Widow mumbled but the billionaire was either too busy or too uninterested to respond. The rest of the team nodded at her, before the door suddenly swung open and a very portly man stood in front of them. He was balding and wore circular spectacles balanced on a long narrow nose, with a very sunny smile and a clipboard in one of his hands.

"This is all very exciting. The subject woke up not too long ago and it's sort of just...sat there," he stammered whilst leading the team through the winding halls. It was a fairly new facility and its research was extremely classified, which for some people immediately translated into, "Manufactures Hydrogen Bombs."

"He's awake?" Bruce said with slight concern in his voice. If the child had still been resting, he thought it would have been easier to obtain samples from him or test, because he would still have the faint hope that the boy couldn't feel anything.

"Oh yes, it's awake. We've kept it contained and it's on tight security – no way can it escape," the scientist replied with a very chirpy voice. Steve looked irritably at the coated man. He kept saying "it", which did not sit right for the old-fashioned hero. To him, it was simple; the alien looked like a child, so therefore, it had to be treated like a child. The idea was flawed but in this situation, it worked.

Finally they came to a giant black room dotted with beeping machines and massive screens. A large glass structure sat in the middle of the machinery, not unlike the container they held Loki in many months ago, except with five odd pods that were used to give the child necessities. However, the 'subject' sat in the middle of this circular prison, looking out with a confused face.

Steve immediately rushed forward to look at him. He had soft shining black hair and dark green eyes which almost glinted in the artificial lighting, and someone had dressed him in small jeans, a red jumper and trainers. The boy immediately saw the beloved Captain America, staring up at him with his big saucer eyes. The leader looked at him with a soft expression before turning around to the team.

"Why hasn't he got anything in there? Like, a teddy or something? He's only a child."

"We're not allowed to give him anything that can be used as a weapon or as a means of escape. It'll be dangerous," the scientist was obviously lying but Bruce deterred the conversation before his friend could start an argument about it.

"What do we know about the child already?"

"The alien hasn't shown any signs of intelligence or speech comprehension. Anyone who has attempted to make any contact with him has failed, and there has been a fair few in these past hours."

Tony moved forward to stand beside Steve, staring down at the child. The dark-haired extra terrestrial suddenly seemed the light up and ran towards the glass with a sudden burst of energy. His hands batted against it playfully at the genius, laughing and giggling whilst trying to break through. He seemed almost like he knew him, or that the hero reminded him of someone he had once known. The scientist stared in disbelief.

"That's the only form of contact he's made all day."

"Maybe he sensed how childish Tony is?" Bruce tried to put a light-hearted spin on things, but everyone knew that this was no time for jokes. They needed to know exactly what would happen to the youngster.

Tony bent down and awkwardly waved to him. However, now the child had discovered that he could not reach him, and had fallen back down into a sitting position with tears in his eyes. Steve felt his heart twist as he heard the toddler sob.

"We have to give him something to play with. He must be so lonely in that little place, all by himself," he said whilst putting a hand up against the see-through walls.

"I'm simply not allowed," with that the scientist gestured for Bruce and Tony to follow him to a giant machine. It had a small table behind it lined with several empty syringes and a few contraptions that were best left alone, along with a glaring white light above. It looked like a surgery table in a horror film, not an experimental lab table.

As the team moved over to it, the Captain stayed beside the glass-prison. In his mind he did not want the child to feel lonely, and he was trying his best to make sure he had some company during this confusing and difficult time.

"We want to take its DNA and, if it has any, we want to take it's blood. We're still not sure about how it's built."

Bruce looked at his friends and sighed. How could the scientists around here be so disconnected? He managed to distance himself when it mattered, but he could not shake the feeling that he would not be able to do it here.

Tony looked across at the child. He wondered what he could remind him of, or if he had just picked to interact with him at random.

Something told him this boy was going to change everything.


	3. Strange Message

Bruce began to set the experiment table with the tools he had been given. The syringes and contraptions looked threatening under the glaring light, and he felt as if he were about to throw his morals out of the window, which made him slightly struggle with his dark side. It had been dangerously close to exploding through a few times already that day and, whilst he looked at the innocent young child staring up at him with his wide green eyes, he still fought back the Hulk. It would be difficult to control it during these experiments; they would only make him angry at the things he had to do in the name of science.

The extra terrestrial had calmed down after the encounter with Tony. The tears had stopped flowing and he had taken to playing with his feet instead, in absence of any toys or entertainment. He looked so happy...completely oblivious to his looming fate if he was deemed a threat to society.

Setting his equipment down, Bruce moved towards the glass container and put his hand against it. He looked down at the boy with a fascinated, slightly fearful gaze, almost like he was trying to tell him that he was not safe here. That being here was most likely a death sentence, or a one-way ticket to exploitation. The child looked up and gave him a wide straight-toothed smile before standing up and clapping his hands.

_Odd, _thought the scientist, _He did not react to anyone but Tony before. Why is he doing this now? Maybe he's getting more comfortable with my presence? Could he be trying to tell me something?_

He pondered over the possibilities as he copied his movements. The alien, also named Subject P, slowly plodded up to the glass wall separating him from Bruce, and put his tiny soft hand against it as well. His eyes glinted in the strong light of the table whilst he opened his mouth and tried to spit out a few words.

"Gone...now..." P's voice was soft and delicate, scarcely audible, but Bruce could hear it in this deadly silent room. His own eyes widened and he let out a small gasp; the child had made verbal contact. The child had chosen to speak.

It took a while for him to choke out, "Gone?" for his shock. It was, at the least, very rare that anyone would get an opportunity like this and he could hardly believe it was happening to him, despite all the craziness that had gone on in his life before.

"Gone...now...in...bed..." The child was struggling with his sentences. They were barely comprehensible, and Bruce had no idea what they meant, but he had made a mental note that he was at least versed in some English. God knows what language he had been raised in, so this was probably a notable feat for someone who looked so young.

"Can you tell me what you mean? What has gone to bed?" The scientist asked, "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

The dark-haired toddler shook his head until the last question, where he quickly nodded. The hero's eyebrows rose slightly – how could someone understand a language and yet not speak it?

"Has something important gone to bed?" As soon as Bruce had asked the question, P looked around the glass container and frowned slightly. He banged against the see-through walls with tiny clenched up fists and shouted behind them, trying desperately to get free. It was like he wanted to show the expert, and if he had a choice, the boy would be released and they would find the answer they were looking for.

"Out...out...now," it was heart-breaking to watch the toddler get so worked up. After a few seconds of watching, dumbfounded, the half-man half-monster found himself trying to keep his dark side under control as anger started to swell inside him. He knew in his head that it was logical to keep P imprisoned until they knew his abilities and his limitations but, in his heart, the youngster was simply scared and confused, faced with problems that he would never wish on anyone. All that alien knew was that he was with strange people he had never seen before, who kept him trapped in a small clear cage in the middle of a room filled with machines and tools.

"Just calm down," Bruce said it loudly, although it was almost to himself, "Calm down, everything will be alright. You will be alright. Just, stop!" Quickly his calm tone transformed into a shout which made P stop his yells. He stepped backwards, confused, and sat down to stare.

The genius had closed his eyes now, head against the wall of the prison, and was working on bringing his heartbeat down. The child was silent as he observed the scientist in front of him – definitely different to those he had seen before. This one was of different ability and P could sense that.

"Gone...now..." that was all he could stammer, nonetheless he thought it would help to some degree. Bruce lifted his head and ran a hand through his dark, thick hair, staring at the child. "Gone...now...in...bed..."

It was amazing and somehow so cute at the same time. His features were soft and completely alike to a normal three year old child, whilst the knowledge that he was from the vast expanses of space made him seem so...fascinating.

"I'll find out what you mean soon, I promise," he whispered comfortingly.


	4. Pity

Tony had chosen to work in seclusion. He had wanted to work on subject P by himself but, since Bruce had been the only one 'formally asked'; he found that he had been stuck on writing up theories. Did they not realise how interested the billionaire was in the alien? He could spend hours just testing out the child's reflexes, let alone making any solid scientific discovery!

As he typed away on his laptop, he started thinking about the boy's reaction to his presence. He had tried to put it down to excitement, although that did not explain why he had singled him out. Maybe he had just wanted to play with the ring he had on his finger, or maybe he just reminded him about someone he used to know? The possibilities were endless but that didn't matter – the fact was the child had picked him out of everyone in the team. That must have meant something.

He looked up at the clock. Bruce would be leaving soon to go and write up his experiments; that meant P would be unsupervised over the course of the night. Tony could imagine the child's delicate face scrunching up in fear of the dark and his cries for someone to come and satisfy his loneliness. A twinge of familiarity tugged in him...the world was a scary place to be alone in.

The genius decided that he would stay in the facility for the next morning. He would make an excuse about working overtime to his friends so that he would not seem to be going soft. He just wanted to make sure that the second night would not be as lonely for the boy as the first night had to be.

That would mean he would have to go out and get a few supplies for an overnight stay. He would need scotch and snacks to help him through the night, plus instant-coffee but he was not sure if the facility would already have that. The expert decided he would pick some up just in case as he left the secret building and climbed into his expensive flashy car, driving to the nearest set of shops quite a few miles away. It gave him the time to think whilst sitting on the leather seats, about the child and about the experiments.

He had never been one for showing his feelings off. Guards had been set up around himself long ago and he had learnt that emotions were for the weak and the slow. To feel anything for a child he didn't even know was strange.

The shops were completely empty, which suited him just fine. The deserted aisles were lined with large bottles of expensive scotch, brandy, whiskey and wine that made him rethink his decision on drinks. His basket soon became filled with different alcohol when he found he couldn't decide, and he turned to walk to the snack aisle with a smile on his face. It would be a good night – it could help him to power through the theories and independent studies on extra terrestrial life-forms.

Just before he found himself amongst the piles of delicious treats, he took a detour through the children's section. Giant teddy bears and miniature fire-trucks stood like quiet soldiers around him as if they were guarding the pretty princess dolls and soft 'Hello Kitty' snugly toys. He slowed slightly when he spied a small fluffy black bear peaking past a Polly Pocket bag.

An image of P came into his head. He picked up the bear whilst he peered around the corners of the aisles and made sure that no one could see him looking at a soft toy. It had small brown glass eyes and a plastic red nose, polished to near perfection, plus a cute polka-dotted white and red bowtie.

Tony could see the alien curled up against it for the night. His dark hair would blend in with its stitched black fur, and he would probably enjoy having a teddy bear...at least for the night. The genius could always sneak it back in the morning; keep it under the wraps until the next evening. Every child deserved at least one toy to play with and make them feel safe when it was dark.

He picked up the bear and collected an assortment of snacks. By his calculations, Bruce would have already been halfway back to Stark Tower, so he sent a quick text message to the scientist's phone;

_Am staying at the facility tonight. The theories are taking longer than I expected them to, but will be back at the Tower tomorrow. _

It was easier to text Bruce than to text Steve. The captain was not particularly gifted with technology and Tony did not feel like decoding a misspelt, mistyped paragraph sent by the man that was supposed to lead his team.

He quickly bought his things and read the answer; _Tony, if you spent this much time working on your other experiments, then you'd probably be a richer man. P will be in lockdown from twelve AM, so if you are in that room after that, then you're locked in. Sorry!_

The billionaire got into his car, shopping bag beside him, and set back off towards the facility. Streetlamps flashed past his eyes whilst he drove and, occasionally stroking the soft ear of the black teddy beside him, he wondered about the world that the child had grown up in. Was it the same as earth? Was it different? How many people were there and what did they look like? So many questions that he wanted answers to, and so little time to ask them when his fellow scientist was doing his experiments.

Bruce would be too busy sticking needles into P for Tony to discuss anything about his home planet. And that was assuming he actually came from a planet and just had not been travelling during his life, until his crash landing in New York. But the tycoon was determined to find out more about subject P before too long.

The feelings had not disappeared.


	5. Breaking the Rules

It was late when Tony got back to the facility. He rushed into the containment room with five minutes before the lock-down time and immediately flew towards P's prison, clutching his shopping against his chest. For a moment he could see the little boy in the middle of the container and then, all of a sudden, he hit something with the solidity of a brick wall.

"What the He-" The billionaire shouted as he collapsed down to the floor and landed square on his backside. His shopping flew out of his arms before tumbling out onto the pristine surface.

"Oh, damn! I'm sorry!" The deep voice was hauntingly familiar. The tycoon slowly raised his head and there, standing before him trying to hide a ridiculous grin, was the light-haired superhero Captain America. Tony narrowed his chocolate brown eyes and quickly ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We all know you're not sorry," he growled whilst taking the hand of his friend to pull himself up, "The grin says it all. What the Hell are you even doing here? Bruce went home ages ago!"

Before Steve could answer him, a faint giggling in the middle of the room diverted their attention. P had seen the whole scene play out in front of him and he just could not hold in the childish giggles bursting from his thin pink lips. The toddler brought his hands up to his head and started rubbing his dark hair. Steve leaned down and looked at him with softness in his eyes.

"Did you like Tony falling?" He cooed in a sweet baby voice, "Would you like to see it again? I'm sure we could arrange something..."

"Oh ha-ha, you're so funny. Maybe in another ninety years you'll be able to match my wit," his tycoon teammate retorted whilst gathering his things. Suddenly, he looked up at the clock to see the time, and gasped loudly. "Damn it! No, no, no!"

His friend did not know what had happened. The billionaire had lunged for the steel door and slammed into it, but it just would not move an inch. He smashed on it with fury and shouted out, telling the non-existent scientists to get up and open the door.

"What's wrong? What's happening?"

"We've been locked in!" He smashed the silvery door once again with his fist, "This place goes into lock down at twelve AM. It's now one minute past twelve – we've missed the deadline. We're stuck in here until someone decides to let us out."

Rogers raised one of his eyebrows and moved towards the door. He tried to rip it off its hinges in a mad attempt to get out although they both knew it was no use. They didn't call this place 'high security' for no reason. And now they were stuck in the same room together, for a whole night, with an extra terrestrial that looked exactly like a child. Things possibly could not get weirder, even by Tony's standards.

"Well. Since we're stuck in here, I guess we'll crack into the scotch," the dark haired hero said as he picked up the slightly chipped bottle. It seemed luck was on his side because none of his alcohol was smashed.

He found the empty cups that Bruce had left that day and poured them two large scotches whilst Steve started to talk to P. The child was watching him intently but a slight smile was etched on his small face. He liked the attention these heroes gave him and the things they said to each other.

"Hey, you never told me; what are you doing here anyway?" Tony repeated his question to his leader. The blonde superhero looked up and blushed a light shade of scarlet.

"You'll think it's stupid but..." he looked back down to the toddler who was plodding back up to the glass, "I didn't want to leave him alone."

The billionaire walked over and handed the drink to his friend. He glanced at him with a straight tight-lipped face.

"That doesn't seem so stupid. It's the whole reason I'm here," he confessed this quite quietly before taking a large gulp of his beverage. Steve stared at him with wide eyes and a large smile.

"Seriously? You? Mr. Anthony Stark, childless billionaire living a reckless life?"

"Yeah, yeah; believe it or not but I don't think a kid deserves to be locked up just because he's a little..." He smiled at subject P who was banging his head against the glass, "Different?"

"I really wish there was some way we could let him out. I mean, just so he could run around for a bit and have some fun. It must be lonely in there for the little guy..."

They had both sensed P's boredom. He had tried his best to interact with his surroundings but there was very little he could do around the prison he was forced to be in. He was a captive.

"Well...we could let him out."

Just as the dark-haired maniac said it, he jumped up over one of the machines and started to fiddle with the controls. Steve's eyes widened and he shouted, "What are you doing?!" however it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Tony had gotten an idea in his head and there was very slim chance that he was going to let it escape.

"Kid, get into one of the pods! I'm just about to open it now," he shouted as the container started to rattle. The pod closest to Rogers began to unseal and P, understanding he was going to be allowed out for a while, jumped straight into it and made himself as small as he could. Tony clicked another button and the high-tech prison closed the pod and began to pull it out, slowly wrenching it open when it hit the barrier of the glass jail.

P immediately exploded out of the pod and started to toddle around the room like a mad child. He clapped his hands, kicked his feet and shouted the only celebratory word he knew, "Happy! Happy!"

"Hold up there, little buddy," Captain America said, attempting to catch him, "We need to make sure you're not going to run off. Can you promise me you're not going to run off? Because if you do, I'll get into trouble and Tony will deny he was ever here."

"I resent that entirely accurate statement!" Stark called from the machine. He smiled at the small child who was now searching through the interesting shopping bags.

"Pr-pro-promise," he stammered over the words, however the heroes could see the genuine appreciation in his eyes. He was glad to be free from captivity for the moment.

P kept searching for a moment until he pulled out the soft cuddly toy that Tony had bought earlier. The tycoon blushed slightly when his teammate noticed and pointed at it, mouth agape, and said in a surprised voice, "Where did that bear come from?!"

"B...b...bought...shop..." P replied and pointed at the dark-haired man who had freed him. He stared at the child for a moment.

"How did you know that, P?"

The boy could not answer because Steve immediately cut in, "Hold on, you BOUGHT this bear? A little while ago? Why did you get a teddy bear?"

"If you must know, I bought it for P."

"I'm seeing a side of you I never thought existed, Tony! You have human emotions!" The exclamation was made with a light heart and the genius sighed at it before drinking his scotch again.

Hours passed like this. P had been darting around the room non-stop whilst the two men spoke about his future in hushed whispers. Both of them got a bad feeling from this facility – something about it did not sit right with them. The expert and super soldier had both felt that leaving the child here could be potentially hazardous.

Finally the toddler returned to the men and sat down in-between them. He was clutching the soft stuffed bear to his thin chest, looking up at them with dark circles around his eyes in addition to a small smile.

"I...am...tired..." He yawned whilst pushing his face into Tony's side. The tycoon recoiled slightly at first at the odd feeling, and then he returned to his position and stroked the child's head.

It was at this moment that he felt truly at peace. As the small body began to rest against his, he imagined to himself that this is what it felt to be responsible for someone. To be a father-figure of some sort, which he had a slight hope that P saw him as.

Both the men went in for a quick squeeze of the boy, and recoiled when they suddenly clutched each other. Steve started stammering on an apology, a quick, "Oh, I'm sorry I was leaning into P," but Tony, who was blushing yet again, said, "Don't worry about it Steve. I understand."

P closed his eyes whilst he tried to fall asleep. However, he had found a certain interest in the awkward interaction between the men who had let him out, and kept an ear open as he slowly fell asleep.

"You know, we probably shouldn't call him P anymore. It's a stupid name," Tony suggested, "We should think of something new for him, and tell the team. At least that way he'll be a little more...integrated into earth."

"That's...actually not a bad idea. What do you want to call him?"

"Well, something that begins with P. We won't confuse him as much then."

The child pricked his ears even more though now sleep was threatening. He had forgotten his real name for being so young.

"Phillip?"

"Urgh, no."

"Paul?"

"He doesn't look like a Paul...more like a Peter."

The two men looked down at him and looked at his little head. His face was hidden away from them and, because he was so tightly fitted under Tony's arm, he seemed to be even smaller than before.

"I think that's a good name for him. Okay then," the captain stroked one of his soft down-like black curls, "I guess your name's Peter now."

A few more moments passed in silence. The child was happily curled between the two heroes without a care in the world, though he whispered, "Cold," very quietly.

The two men looked at each other. They would have to do something about the boy's chill, although they felt slightly awkward at the most obvious choice.

"Fine," Tony sighed. Captain America wrapped his arms around Peter's body and over his friend's waist as the Ironman legend put his arm around his leader's shoulder. The toddler almost purred when their body warmth generated around him.

And as much as Anthony Stark didn't want to admit it, he was more at ease than he had been in a long time.


	6. Found Feelings

The day had started off so wonderfully for Bruce. A lovely cooked breakfast at eight AM, a pleasant commute to the facility...and his teammates curled up together in a ball on the floor. The scene was almost a picture-perfect – the scientist was finding it hard not to grab a camera for blackmail use later.

However, he did the right thing and gently roused them from their slumber. Tony's head lifted sluggishly from Steve's lap as he began to return to reality, looking up at his snickering friend with a confused and slightly dazed expression.

"Hm? What?" The irritable question suddenly turned into a startled gasp when the billionaire looked behind him to see his leader. The light-haired soldier's eyes widened before he scrambled to his feet and stared at the giggling genius. How had Tony ended up in his lap? And why, of all people to discover them, did it have to be Bruce?

"Well, I'm glad to see you two were comfortable last night," he chuckled with arms crossed, "I guess you got caught in lock-down? I did warn you about that. If you come in to see subject P at night, then be out before midnight. That's the rule."

His fellow man of science snorted grumpily. He knew perfectly well when the lock-down was, and if it weren't for his good-heartedness he would have spent an equally enjoyable night in his own laboratory. Although the sleep he had had with Peter and Steve had been quite comfortable...

Suddenly, the super soldier looked down and let out a shout. On the pristine grey floor laid the black teddy bear from last night but its new owner had vanished. The child had disappeared from their sides, leaving them with the soft toy that he had been so happily cuddled up to last night. Now was no time for explanations on how they got there – they had to find Peter before he managed to escape the facility.

"Tony – he's gone! The little man's gone! Damn, damn, damn, damn!" It was rare that Captain America panicked about anything. The widened eyes and the curse words were an unseen feature to him; a feature that Bruce had seen only once before. This is when the half-man half-monster noticed the absence of the child from the prison, and his eyes immediately darted to the dark-haired lunatic who was usually responsible for these kinds of things.

"You let him OUT?! You let subject P loose?! What the Hell were you thinking you madman? We have no idea of his intentions!" He shouted. The beast started to swell inside his chest; why had he allowed him to stay behind? He should have known something like this would happen!

"Hey, don't blame me!" Tony retorted, "He was all locked up! Like some animal! What kind of heroes are we if we left him alone in there to suffer through the night? Besides, Steve was there to! He watched me take Peter out and he barely said a word!" The genius could not help the rising feeling of panic in his chest. He was whirling over places the boy could be hiding, although he did not want to return him back to the prison. He just wanted to know he was safe.

Bruce was marching to the machines but stopped when he heard the child's new name. He raised his eyebrow and cocked his head to one side slightly.

"Peter?"

"Yeah, Peter. We re-named him. Just because he's stuck here like an animal doesn't mean we can't treat him as a human," the billionaire growled as he sauntered over to the glass container. The child had promised he wouldn't run off like this – where the Hell could he have gone without them noticing?!

The scientist had to admit, he liked the name change. Subject P was so cold and mechanical but the real name was much warmer. He could not voice his approval right then however, with the extra-terrestrial missing and presumed escaped.

Whilst they were rummaging around the room in search for him, Steve heard a small cry from the corner of the room. He peered closely at it; just a few simple stacks of paper slightly pulled away from the greyish wall. But he was sure that the stacks had not been there before.

He tried to quietly creep up to him. He was not built for stealth although he found he was quite good at it, because he managed to peak behind the straight white mountain and spied the little alien sitting alone by himself. Tears trickled down his bright red cheeks like a fountain and his hands were clasped around his knees which he hugged to his chest. He looked frightened.

"Hey, little man," he cooed softly. Peter's eyes shot up to him and he instantly started to sob harder, pushing himself further to the wall. Why was he acting like this? Just yesterday he had been happy to curl up between the soldier and his teammate as if they were his family; now it seemed like he was terrified of them.

"Found him?" Bruce's voice rang out loudly from behind, "Get him here and we'll put him back into his cell."

The child again screamed and pushed himself to the wall, "No! No!"

"Hey, hey, calm down. You know we're not going to hurt you," Steve hushed him gently; "We didn't hurt you last night, did we?"

The dark-haired boy shook his head whilst his bottom lip quivered. The large man held out his hand to him, and prompted him slowly out from behind the stack with the promise of safety.

He also found that he did not want the child to return. He hated to admit it but the sleep he had with the small child and his teammate had been the most relaxing he had ever had, and he had been asleep for seventy years. Something about it had just felt...natural.

The half-man half-monster sighed when he saw the two men's hesitation to return Peter. The super soldier picked his small body up and, on his way to the glass container, he almost tripped. Tony's head shot up.

"Be careful!" He hissed, "Don't drop him!"

As soon as the alien was back in his cage, Bruce sighed and turned to his friends. He understood their moral opposition to this treatment – Hell, he was opposed to it as well – but they had to put it aside for the good of this experiment running smoothly. He was surprised that the tycoon had not already completely checked out...or was he more surprised that he had morals at all? The playboy had never been one for showing many emotions other than the less in depth.

"Pull it together. We've got to be careful how we go about these next few days," he warned, "One mistake and he could be portrayed as a threat. Do you want his blood on your hands? No! And I don't either, so stop jeopardising him."

The man left to go and cool down. He needed a quiet room with no distractions. He needed to fight the swelling rage bursting inside him.

Tony looked at the child, who was again weeping and holding his soft tiny hands up to him, and frowned with sad eyes. He did not know why this child had affected him so much but everything told him to stay in his company and never leave his side. Steve stood next to him and sighed.

"I...miss...family..." Peter wept in his small voice, "Want...family..."

In an instant, the men fell to their knees and put a hand against the glass as well. They had barely realised they were both doing it because their attention was so focused on the little boy in front of them.

"Don't cry Pete," the tycoon encouraged, "Dry the tears. We can't give you your family...we can't give you that. But we can be back later and let you out again when Bruce is gone, okay?"

Normally, Captain America would never condone this but as he stared at the small child he felt his heart soften and he found himself nodding to the scheme. It seemed only fair. He could not bear to see him crying.

It made his heart twist with the most peculiar feeling.


	7. Challenging

A few days passed and Tony had kept his word to Peter. Every night when Bruce left the billionaire would creep in before lockdown to let the little alien out for a run around, usually bringing sweets or toys with him. The child had grown used to this routine and the playboy found that his feelings had strengthened over the short time – he was growing more attached to the small boy with every passing day.

Steve had kept his distance somewhat. He had not returned for a nightly visit; instead he favoured to make social calls to his teammates during the daytime and see how Peter was doing then. The child had sensed this but without the ability to communicate his displeasure, he had to let the super soldier get away with it. It caused him great sadness when he saw Tony coming into his prison room, alone, as the nights passed on.

One night, the tycoon released the boy for his playtime as usual, but he was heavy. He was not as excited as he was before when he saw the new toys or the new sweets – in fact he sat there staring at them like they were going to attack him. His pink lips were stretched in a heartbreaking frown whilst tears sparkled in his dark green eyes, and he stammered on words that could tell Stark what was wrong.

"Miss...big...man..." he stuttered slowly. With each word tears threatened to cascade down his face like a waterfall, although he managed to keep his composure. The un-shed sobs choked his throat and made it all the more difficult to speak, making his words sound more unintelligible.

"Big man? You mean Steve? Why do you miss him?" The genius already knew the answer. Peter wanted to curl up between them again like they did before and feel safe, protected, in this world that he knew nothing about. It made him angry that his leader was avoiding the child.

"Cold," the alien replied whilst he rubbed his soft face. Tony lifted him and gave him a quick squeeze although he wanted to hug him tightly. He could not understand what Steve was truly doing – avoiding the billionaire so they would not feel awkward together – but it was not working. It was having a bad affect on the child. It was not beneficial for anyone except himself.

The tycoon wanted to take the child back to the Tower. He could not keep getting away with staying overnight at the facility; the team were getting suspicious. The theories and the experimental plans were done long ago, the preparations he had offered to finish were completed and the only excuse he could think to tell them was that he wanted to stay close to the work. Peter needed a home to be in, not a cage. The dark-haired playboy absent-mindedly stroked the similar hair of the small child when he thought about it.

It would be nice to have someone younger in the Tower; someone who would keep everyone on their toes and make them far more interesting to be around. He could imagine the days when they couldn't find him, or when it rained outside and they had to find ways to entertain the boy without destroying every expensive thing in their headquarters. The billionaire had threatened to throw the Avengers out many times if they kept damaging things but, for some strange reason, he had a feeling he would feel differently when it was Peter. Maybe he would even let him sit in his favourite chair when they watched films together. He would not even mind if the alien talked all the way through it, asking questions in his cute little voice or eating all of the popcorn before the adverts were over.

He envisioned the team sitting down to watch a film on the television. All squished on the sofa and some taking up a part of the floor, they were like a big massive family that Tony had been deprived of as a child, and Peter would definitely put some life into that super-family. He would be wedged comfortably in-between with a bowl of whatever sweets he wanted on his short legs, watching a film he would probably barely understand but not moving because he was so comfortable. It was something that had never enticed the loner tycoon before but now...it seemed more attractive. It seemed like he had been missing it all his life. He would not retreat into his studies as he usually did – he would elude work much more than he already did in fact.

Suddenly, he caught himself. Why was he thinking about things like this? He wasn't a family man, and he did not enjoy being all cosy with other people. He only needed his suit, his coffee, and snacks lined up in his lab. There was no room in his life for 'family', just like his father.

Peter was released and he toddled around for a while. Tony sat on the floor drinking a glass of scotch, keeping his eye on the clock so he could leave before lockdown time and return to his own temporary sleeping accommodation. He had managed to bring in a sleeping bag and hide it during day when Bruce could see it although it did not quite match up to his bed at home.

"Come on then Pete, time for bed," he said near midnight as he gathered up the toys. The alien did not respond to him for a moment. He wandered around to the opened steel door and stared out at the long grey hallways with widened eyes. The genius leant down to him and said it again but found that the child was completely distracted.

Tony began to get an idea. If he could slip Peter out, and return in the early morning so he could claim he was there all night, maybe he could keep the boy under-wraps for a while? He knew that none of the others would go for it, probably demand that he bring him back immediately, but when did he ever listen to them? And that didn't always blow up in his face, so why should this?

Before he could reason with himself he found that he had grabbed the child and walked out of the facility. _Hm, for 'high security', you'd think they'd have a few alarms or something, _he mused in his head as he buckled the surprised toddler into one of the leather seats, _if everyone just put a lock on a door and called it high security, America would have been in chaos ages ago._

"Why...going...?" Peter's voice was confused however he could hear the gratefulness tinged around it. He gave a large smile and shrugged.

"Why not? Perfect night for a change of scenery, don't you think? I mean, if you'd rather stay in the glorified glass jar, then-"

"No! No!" The child cut in quickly and pressed his face up against the glass of the flashy car. Tony winced slightly when he saw the smudges against his tinted windows – what was it with kids and touching everything? Though he was not angry at him. It was difficult to be angry with him.

The car pulled away and the businessman could feel the blood pumping through his ears. It was like when he would charge head-on into a fight with only half-power on his suit, or when he attempted to make a chicken dinner unsupervised. Even when the facility started to become a grey spec on the horizon he still could not settle his nerves; it was a relief when Peter started to talk about everything around them.

"Pretty plants...colour...when...home?"

"Soon, Pete. You'll like the tower."

"Tower?"

"It's a very, very popular place for tourists. I think it's because I'm there, but the others keep saying it's because it's so big and obnoxious. What can you do to educate them?" The billionaire shrugged with his hands steady on the steering wheel and eyes darting behind them every second.

"Big?"

"You were asleep when you were there so you won't remember. I like to sleep a lot too – surprised I even remember what it looks like right now."

"You...are...friend..." The child smiled at him before turning back to admire the scenery. Tony smiled with an odd feeling rising in his chest. It was warm and inviting, oddly satisfying.

"I am a friend. At least someone thinks so!"


	8. Beauty in a Childs Eyes

Everyone was asleep when they got to Stark Tower. Tony had managed to hide the small boy all the way to the meeting room, where they had first met him, without anyone noticing. Peter was amazed at all the flashing lights and loud noises at the city – such stuffs were not usual to him and all very fascinating to look at. The billionaire had to admit that he had not relaxed since leaving the facility; what if someone found them? He could not only get himself killed but he had put the boy at risk too!

He looked down at the alien. He had toddled off now to inspect the different coloured bottles and feel the creamy coloured carpet, although he seemed to be staying away from the windows. A few nervous glances told Tony that he was afraid of them for some reason; maybe he feared that he would fall or that someone from the facility would see him?

"Pete, come here," the billionaire muttered in a low voice as he pulled the child towards them, "Look out there. Can you see all those lights and people?"

The child looked out with a scared expression. He dared to touch the cold glass and pressed his face against it whilst his companion checked over his shoulder for his teammates. The lights were dancing below him in what seemed like a noisy chaotic mess...but he loved it. He loved the different colours clashing with each other almost violently and the way the people seemed to ignore their beauty. It was all so very new to him, all so very beautiful.

Pointing to the different buildings he could see, Tony started to see the world in a slightly different light. He saw the beauty hidden in the man-made constructions, although only faintly, and he understood the lights flickering below were probably exciting to the distant visitor. All of this must have been so foreign to him...so alien.

"We are one of the tallest buildings here. We can see everything from here – right past the towers and over the skyscrapers. Do you think it's a good view, Pete?" The tycoon found that talking to the child was interesting. He found himself more engaged with the conversation when he prompted the young one to look and see the world around him.

"Hope...I...stay..." Peter mumbled, "Pretty lights...awake..."

_It will take a while for him to learn the language, _Tony thought, _it'll be hard for him to pick it up, probably. Unless he's a genius. Which he might be. I can teach him to be one; might be nice to talk to someone properly that's not Bruce._

He patted the child's head before retreating to the bar. He poured himself a clear drink of vodka, celebrating a successful escape, whilst he admired the boy's fascination in everything he usually ignored. The world was quite a marvel to behold in some sense but to look at it through a child's fresh young eyes must have been quite something. He had forgotten how he used to see things.

Suddenly, he heard someone shuffling about outside the door. The billionaire dropped his glass and lunged towards Peter, grabbing him and throwing him behind the bar. He hissed quietly to not make a sound before Bruce walked in with a big grin on his face.

"Tony! It's brilliant, it's amazing, it's the news we've been waiting for!" He said in a delighted voice. Peter heard a strange rustling, which was because the scientist held a stack of documents in his slightly tanned hands.

"What news?"

"About Peter! I mean...subject P. He's not a threat – he's more like us than I ever thought possible. Wherever he came from, they're probably in a replication of earth or have an atmosphere almost identical to us."

Tony gulped. Bruce had seen him now; he could not say that he had been at the facility all night. His peculiar attitude towards the good news made his friend narrow his eyes and lean his face towards him.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course! We've just had some great news. What do you think they'll do to him now that they know he's not a threat?"

Bruce sighed as he set the stack of paper on the marble bar surface. Peter held his breath as he sensed the man walking around behind him and the fear emanating from his rescuer. The man-turned-monster had always been so kind to him so he did not fully understand why he was hiding away, although he did not like the injections he had been forced to have.

"Honestly, I don't know. I hoped that they'd release him and either send him back to space, or try to integrate him into our society. Can you really see that happening though? Damn, I need a drink."

He moved towards the back of the bar but Tony jumped in front of him and lunged to pour the drink himself. Banner's eyebrow raised as his friend began to make some exotic drink he didn't know the name of. The billionaire gently pushed the child back with the front of his foot, deeper in the open space between the empty glasses, and gave an almost convincing smile to his fellow scientist.

"You can't pour drinks. You try, but you can't. For someone who is an expert in science, you'd think making a mixture would be easy as Hell," the tycoon laughed slightly but it was forced.

"And I would have thought someone who can read in several different languages and build a super-suit from scraps would be able to cook. Still, I suppose we all have our strengths."

They enjoyed the drink together whilst the dark-haired playboy felt the small hands of Peter tugging at his jean leg. He kept one eye on Bruce and tried to stop the child.

Suddenly another person entered the room. Tony's mouth fell open and he tightened his glass, knowing exactly what would happen when this newcomer spoke. His lips pursed and he glared forward. His perfect plan was ruined.

"Hey guy's, anybody else feeling-"

"Big man!" At that moment everything unravelled. Peter jumped up from his spot to run to the super soldier and Bruce, who had been quite notably surprised by the sudden appearance of an alien in their home, dropped his half full glass before jerking away like a man possessed. Steve gasped when the small little cannon-ball bolted into his legs and gave him a tight hug.

The billionaire sighed while he sipped his drink. His eyes were shut so he could not see the shocked expressions turn slowly into both joy and anger but he could feel it rolling off them in waves. He was going to get nagged for this, he just knew it.

"Anthony Stark, why the Hell is Peter here?!" Steve bellowed loudly. The child recoiled at the large noise and retreated to behind the sofa, watching the events take place in front of him. What had he done? He had just gotten the man who saved him in massive trouble!

"I thought he could use a change of scenery. Ya' know – see the sights, take in the smells."

"This is no joke Tony," Bruce cut in while he calmed himself and stilled his fast beating heart, "Subject P is an alien. Not just that, he's also under the secret service's jurisdiction. Do you know how much trouble we're going to be in when he's found here?!"

"You've just told me that you've proven he's not a threat. We show them the papers, the evidence, then they can't technically do anything to us. If anything, maybe they'll let us-"

Steve interrupted him mid sentence to growl, "You of all people know that's not how the world works. We could get killed for this, you idiot; you're not above the law! Peter is under the law! You've stolen government property!"

Peter's bottom lip quivered. He toddled out from the sofa with tears in his eyes. He felt as if he was not wanted here, and that the welcome he had received was how they truly thought of him. The playboy saw this and glared at his two friends angrily.

"See what you've done now?" He yelled before picking up the child, "What were my options then? Leave him there to rot and fester away? And what the Hell do you mean government property?"

The scientist and soldier started at the alien. They could not say that they weren't happy with him being here – countless days had been spent worrying about the fate that would befall him. Even in-between defending the citizens and doing the daily hero work, the child had been playing on Steve's mind whilst the experts had been locked away to work on him.

"Look, Tony, we understand what you're trying to say. It's just not-"

"No," he replied as he walked out, the young boy still in arm, "You don't understand. You don't know what it's like to feel alone and unimportant. You have no idea."

With that, the billionaire and Peter disappeared from the room. His friends stared after him, wondering for a moment if they should call and ask him to return, but they knew it would just end in a full blown argument. Tony would do as he saw fit, no matter what anyone said.

Rogers turned to Bruce with a sad face. They both knew that things were going to take an extremely ugly turn soon.

"What are we going to do?"

"What can we do? He's not going to let the boy go without a fight," the man-turned-monster sighed, "And that fight will probably end up in all of us not talking to each other for months on end. Subject P will be sent off somewhere or other, never to see the light of day again."

They nodded to each other. Steve rebuked his friend for calling the child subject P, and said, "While he's here, he's going to be called Peter. It's just better that way. Then, when they find out he's hiding with us, we'll have to let Tony take his punishment like a man."

The two men sighed. The child was going to spell trouble for them sooner or later.


	9. Sleepless Nights

Steve sat in his room alone that night tapping on his desk. In his heart he was relieved – the child he cared for so dearly had been safely brought back to the Tower – but in his head he knew that things were going to turn sour soon. The facility's scientists would notice that Peter had been taken in the morning, and that would turn into an investigation. Innocent people would be taken into custody, people who had worked with the alien during his captivity, although he still could not say he fully trusted them. Bruce had mentioned before that they rarely ever came to see the boy and left nearly all of the experiments to him. They simply came in to take the results every now and then for analysing.

That building gave him a bad feeling. The safety for Peter during his stay there had always been a question for him; often he would hear that the child's feeding schedule limited him to one full-sized meal a day and for the rest of the time he was left to his own devices. The experts there must have been busy with some other, far more important experiment if they were willing to ignore the specimen to that extent.

The shadows around his room twisted as the moon slowly raked across the black sky. The diamond studs decorating the black belt twinkled down through his arched window, glimmering softly millions of miles away, and caused him to think about the extra terrestrial's origins. What planet could have harboured such a little treasure and still send it down to earth? There was no doubt in Steve's mind that something terrible must have happened and his family had decided to save him.

Cliché, but heart-warming.

He remembered how upset Tony had been when he questioned the billionaire's judgement. There must have been some attachment to the child for him – something that the star-spangled hero had felt as well. It was a level of fondness he had never felt for any child before, not even his little fans who would ask for autographs back in World War II. He wanted to hold the boy and protect him from any dangers that were out there in the world. It was...fatherly.

The night dragged on for a while more before Rogers decided to go and walk. The Tower was so confusing and large that he often found himself lost in its maze, the jungle of technology. Now, however, he did not care whether he lost his way, he simply wanted to walk and try to get his head around this whole mess.

The corridors and hallways led him further into the building he now called home. He recalled his previous home, a decent sized semi-detached house just off the docks, and thought about his life before the serum. His skinny arms and short stature had always failed to impress children or adults...now it seemed that they could not get enough of him. It looked like the only thing that was needed to get by in the world was a good set of muscles and even better looks. That was probably how Tony had gotten so far in life, in addition to his genius and family's social status.

It confused Steve why Pepper's relationship with him had deteriorated. Stark had told the team it was because she did not want the unpredictability anymore and had urged him to give up this way of life. She had said they had never properly 'clicked' and that the arguments they had were not a great foundation for a relationship, let alone possible marriage one day. She had settled down with being his CEO and good friend although they still had their trade-mark disagreements every week.

The Captain walked to the meeting room to go and get a drink. He did not usually drink; he thought the need called for it today. There was going to be challenges facing him and his friends a lot in the coming weeks – he would rather find relaxation at the bottom of a bottle than tension everywhere else.

His own love-life had been at a stand-still. Women would routinely throw themselves at him, and some were completely gorgeous, but he had yet to find that person who made him whole. A long time ago he thought he had found her in Peggy but then, God would not have taken him from her if she was the One. His lack of companionship caused him to think that caring for Peter might be his way of filling the void, even though he knew that the alien was not just a void-filler. He was something different. Something special.

"Maybe I should check up on them," he mused to himself as he opened a bottle of Fosters, "See if they're alright? Tony was pretty upset earlier. Aw, who am I kidding? They'll be asleep by now. I can always check though."

The first sip of his beer reminded the leader why he did not drink. The bitter liquid swirled in his mouth like a virus until he finally swallowed and gagged quietly, coughing on the disgusting taste. How could his friends drink beer like it was water? He could only manage it on the odd occasion, when they were celebrating something.

He walked away from the meeting room and down the corridor. Tony's bedroom was three flights of stairs upwards, and had a lovely view where he could see all the nightclubs and buildings lit up at night. The genius had most likely taken the boy there when he had stormed off so that he could look at all the lights and watch people walk around, enjoying their lives whilst they were still young. It had been all too different back in his day, when the days and nights were commonly filled with slogging it out until the nightmare was finally over. Especially for the poorer folk.

Eventually arriving at his door, Steve found himself preparing to open it with unnecessary care. He was thinking of what to say to his friend if he found him awake, or what to say to Peter in apology for scaring him. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

He was in luck though. When he slowly opened the wooden door and looked into the black and white modern room, he saw the pair had fallen asleep on the tycoon's bed. The desk beside it was riddled with childish drawings and pencils were scattered all about it, whilst it seemed JARVIS had been running an advanced sort of gaming system on the massive plasma screen television for them. It seems that Peter was better at Tony in fighting off hordes of zombies according to the scores, but Steve knew that the playboy had probably let the alien win so many times.

He peered at them carefully. It was so dark he could barely see, although soon he could make out their bodies lying on top of the thick black cover; the toddler was underneath Tony's arm whilst the billionaire seemed to be lying on his stomach, as if prepared to defend the child if the need called for it. But they were both fully clothed – they even had their shoes and coats on.

Rogers began to gently take off Peter's shoes and put them neatly beside the bed. Its memory foam mattress shaped closely to the boy's body as he took him and put him slowly underneath the covers. At every snort and mumble, however, the captain found himself hushing him affectionately.

"Shh, little man," he muttered, "It's okay. Don't wake up, now, it's time for you to sleep."

When the boy was finally curled up underneath the covers, he turned his attention to Tony. The moonlight stretched across his face which twitched in his comfort.

He removed his shoes and gently tugged off his coat before tucking him into the covers. For a moment, he looked down at the two people sleeping so soundly and felt something...something warm rising in his soul. Without thinking he leaned down and softly kissed them both on the forehead.

Steve recoiled when he realised what he did. What was that? Why did he just do it? He turned from his friend and the alien with confusion in his eyes, running out of the room loudly and having no concern that they could wake up. Tony jumped awake just to see his door shut, but the leader was already gone by the time he had sprang out of bed and gone to see who it was.

He looked around his room. It was still in the same disorganised mess it had been before. Drawings everywhere, the game system operational. Now though, the toddler he was risking so much for was happily snoozing under his thick duvet, his dark-haired head on the soft pillows. He looked so peaceful, so comfortable, but he knew that they had fallen asleep on top of the covers.

It seemed whoever had run off cared greatly for them. He tried to think of who it could be; had Pepper called for a visit? She wasn't quite happy with him but maybe she had come to check? Or maybe Bruce had come to see little Peter? Although he wouldn't have made them that comfortable without waking them up.

The last person on the shortlist was Captain America. Tony sighed as he closed the door and wandered back over to his bed.

Steve would never be that kind to him.


	10. Who Cares the Most?

The team quickly adapted to Peter's presence when it was announced. Thor and Bruce busied themselves with clearing out one of the many spare rooms although Tony offered to keep him in his chambers. He was very protective of the boy – he would rarely let him out of his sight and, when he did, it was never for very long. Steve noticed that the only times the alien was alone were when Tony had a shower or had to pop quickly to the shops, or sometimes when the billionaire left him in his room to watch television. The captain had given up all hope by now that they would find an alternative solution; his friend would never allow the child to be taken from them.

The Avengers were only just beginning to understand how difficult looking after a toddler was. Peter kept them alert and aware of their surroundings, to the point that they began to put things higher up and make sure all potentially hazardous objects were locked away. Bruce had noticed, however, that the child seemed to have a deeper understanding of everything around him, almost as if he knew what to do around them. He sat up in his laboratory some nights, wondering if the alien had recorded any signs of super-intelligence behind his adorable exterior.

Thor had taken a special shine to Peter. As a fellow foreigner to the planet he felt it was his duty to help school the boy on things he had learnt during his time there, although he found teaching was complicated and exhausting. Usually the lessons broke down into stories of his days in Asgard and the battles he had bravely fought there. The rest of the team would happily listen to these tales just for the sake of their new addition, who would gaze awe-struck at the God-like hero and hang onto his every word.

Bruce tried his best to deter the facility. He had acted surprised when they told him of Peter's absence, even shocked, however he knew that they would discover his whereabouts soon. He tried his best to put it out of his mind and enjoy the breath of life he gave his 'family' but it remained there, looming over his head everyday like a hanging dark cloud. Things were going to spiral out of control and, despite their best efforts, he felt as though the toddler they cared for so much was going to be in the middle of a giant storm.

One morning, Tony and Steve were in the kitchen. The leader felt awkward as he read his paper, far too aware of his teammate's presence, who was putting on a coat over one of his best suits and calling Peter into the room. He peered over the boring black print for a moment to stare at his dark-haired friend.

"Are you doing a shop run?" He asked curiously with narrowed eyes. The playboy usually made Fury or Hawkeye go; he would rarely dare the cold himself when he could stay inside and drink buckets of coffee.

"Sort of," he replied absent-mindedly, "I'm taking Pete out for new clothes. He's only got one pair of trousers, a top and a jumper, and he's been wearing them for days."

The captain jumped up with a fire in his eyes. His newspaper fell to the ground with a light, papery thump, whilst he glared at the irresponsible genius. Could he be serious? Why would he risk the exposure of the alien he cared for so much?

"Are you completely insane?! How in the world do you expect us to keep him under-wraps if you do stupid stuff like this with him?!" He yelled loudly. Thor, who was in the other room with Peter, raised his head from a super-sized cup before quickly gathering the child up. There were too many arguments around him these days, and he would be damned if he let him listen to yet another bicker between full-grown men.

"Shut up Steve," Tony growled as the God snuck past the door, "He needs clothes. There's nothing here that he can wear unless he grows a good four and a half foot. No one from the facility is going to be in a designer shop, are they?"

"That's not the point! You know as well as I do that if you go out there with him, he'll eventually be caught!"

"I know what I'm doing! I don't see you doing anything to help! Ever since Pete turned up, you've been avoiding me and him! You want to have a say in what he does? HELP!"

Tony turned and stalked out of the kitchen. The unsettled air nervously floated around Rogers who could only stare after him in disbelief. The genius was aware of his awkwardness around him, and the child, but he doubted that he knew the reason why. The leader had been careful not to tell anyone.

Stark caught Thor trying to sneak off with young Peter halfway up the stairs. He glared at him with his intense chocolate brown eyes before taking the child off of him and walking towards the door, with him tucked nicely against his body. He found himself fretting over his warmth, wondering if he should wrap him up, but decided that he could find a stylish coat for him at the shops so there was no point. He would be warm in the car.

"He is right you know," his friend yelled behind him, "About the boy. There is danger around the world and more-so for him. Do you feel the need to risk his safety just for clothes you could obtain without him?"

"I don't know his size. Look, Thor, I appreciate the help and everything, but I don't tell you how to swing your hammer so you shouldn't tell me how to look after Peter. I'm the whole reason he's here in the first place – you lot were quite content to let him rot in that glass jar." He sounded bored of these questions and the God was going to let it go, if it weren't for the insult at the end of his comment. The team had just been as worried as he was, even when they were doing their daily activities and protecting the city.

"You know we all feared for him! You, of all people, know that we had a bad feeling! Those men of science brought with them doubt and distrust, and with them the child! How could you possibly suggest you care for him more than anyone here?"

"Fine, you want to care? Why don't you and some of the others come with me then, and we'll all look after him. After all, I'm obviously so irresponsible and unfit to look after a boy; I only led a multi-billion dollar corporation!"

Despite the obvious sarcasm, Thor took it as an invitation and called down a few of their teammates for assistance. Tony seethed with anger, although he didn't say anything as he could feel the child trembling in his grip and did not want to cause him anymore upset. The tycoon had to choke down his fury when Clint, Bruce and Natasha lined up with coats and gloves on, ready to go shopping and protect their illegal alien from any harm.

Thor smiled behind them all. He thought he had won this argument, which was very rare for him as his dark-haired friend often outsmarted him, and felt a certain level of childish pride at the achievement. It would not be for very long, no doubt.

"Fine, is the Army ready?" Stark growled sarcastically. They nodded with smiles on their faces. "Let's get a move on then. I swear, you people are going to get us caught."


	11. Over-Exposed

Peter's clothes shopping had been a terrific success. Although Tony was still annoyed that they thought he was childish enough to let harm come to him, he was pleased with the brand new wardrobe and dozens of toys their guest had in his possession. His credit card had taken quite a beating but that didn't matter – what was the point of money if there was no one to spend it on?

The child enjoyed being outside more than anything. He did not care for the small little suit the billionaire had bought him and he did not find interest in the clothes, even though he was grateful for them; he simply enjoyed the feeling of the wind against his face and the sounds of the people in the shops. Tony followed him closely whilst he looked around the giant retail store.

"What are we going to do with him?" Bruce suddenly appeared beside his friend. He gave him a blank stare. "What are we going to do with Peter? We can't just keep him locked away forever...eventually we're going to get caught out. What do you plan to do then?"

The tycoon bent down and picked up the toddler, reluctantly handing him to Thor and instructing the God to take him to the toy's section. He was too young to be hearing about his own grim situation although it was very likely he knew more about it then they realised.

"Why do you ask? Why do you think there is a situation with Pete at all? We've got him now, and eventually they're going to lose interest and they will write him off as either returned or escaped. They'll stop searching eventually." Stark could not even convince himself of this but he had to desperately cling to the hope. He had dreams about the fight that would take place to secure the child's safety, and in every single one he ended up standing over the alien's lifeless body and weeping. It was a horrible nightmare he could not seem to shake.

"You know it's not going to work like that Tony," Bruce sighed as they walked slowly through the clothes, "You know they're never going to let him go. We want him to stay with us just as much as you do, but we can't do that without some sort of struggle. It's just the way things go."

The Ironman legend nodded before they turned a corner. Peter was standing there with Thor in the children's section, a big smile etched on his soft face. His tiny hands were reaching up to the shelves and the hero picked him up. The way he giggled and clapped made the heroes' hearts melt together; they knew that the battle would be hard but if they won they would never have to lose Peter. It seemed so worth it.

"Look at him Bruce," he said, "Can we let him go back to the facility? Those people there aren't in it for his well-being. I doubt they're even there for the science. I think they're up to something and he was the main source of it."

"We've had this discussion Tony."

"Yes we have, and none of us disagreed with it."

"True. That doesn't get rid of the fact that we're in a whole heap of trouble, though." Suddenly the half-man half-monster turned and caught a figure out of the corner of his eye. He looked directly at it and a flash went off, temporarily blinding him as he shut his eyes and let out one loud cry. Tony looked to see a reporter taking snaps of them standing together and before his senses kicked in, was dumb-struck. Could they not leave the team alone for one day? And of all the days for them to get pictures, why did it have to be the day they had Peter?

"Thor! Get Pete!" He shouted whilst grabbing his friend, "Natasha! Clint! Help me get Bruce to the car!"

It was like a military operation. In a flash the God snatched up the small child and was running towards the exit although a dozen different flashes told him he was too late. The two trained agents rushed forwards to help their blinded teammate stagger and stumble through the aisles. His lumbering body was heavy as he covered his eyes and tried to regain some sort of sight.

"Can't you just leave us alone?!" Tony snapped at the reporter. With no remorse he pushed forward, still taking pictures of the exiting heroes' and asking them for interviews. He asked questions like, 'Is that your son? Have you fathered an illegitimate child? When were you going to tell the world? Have you adopted? Did you heroically save him from a burning building and decide to take him under the Avenger's wings?'

These people did not care for the reason. What they wanted were readers and stories, and they didn't care what they depicted the beloved heroes' as. They didn't mind if they turned everyone against them and branded them as heretics; on the other hand they didn't care if they portrayed them as brave white knights struggling through the putrid filth of today's society. They just cared that they were the news of the century and that, if they had a story on them, people were almost guaranteed to buy their papers.

The friends were bundled into the limousine and gone within a minute. The scientist's eyes began to get better but all Tony could think about was the exposure. They had got pictures of Peter. The facility was going to find out. Had he just doomed the beloved toddler to being sent back to that prison?

Everything in that moment seemed to turn to ash. The buildings outside crumbled away like matchstick houses and the billboards began to wither. The pavements almost floated up into the sky and the people began to sink down into abyss's he did not care to think about; he had just lost the child. He had managed to get the 'secret' put in the paper, for everyone to see. Steve was going to have a field day when he found out.

The whole limo was silent. Peter looked up at Tony and Thor who were dumb-struck, and then at Bruce. He slowly walked up to him, trying desperately to keep his balance in the car as he put his hands on the expert's lap. The man looked down at the child's caring, dark green eyes.

"Friends...make...safe..." He stammered before climbing into his lap, "Friends...make...happy. I...am...a friend to...you. So I will...make...safe..."

Suddenly things seemed to build back up for Tony. He looked down at the child nuzzling his face into his friend's chest and promising his safety...and he felt oddly relaxed. He had a glimmer of hope fluttering in his chest and he didn't want that to disappear. A tear appeared in his eye.

"Thank you Peter, but I think I'm alright now," Bruce said with a smile, "My eyes are getting better. Why don't you check on Natasha and Clint now? They're the ones that had to carry me out of there."

The toddler did as he was asked and the pair kept him distracted for a moment. Bruce sighed and turned to the other men with a serious expression.

"Steve is going to kill us."


	12. Unlock my Power

Steve was still in the kitchen when they returned. Tony found himself shuddering as he thought what he was going to say – how could he begin to talk his way out of this one? The leader would never believe how much he cared for Peter now, let alone ever allow him to take the child out again. Bruce was insistent that their friend had to know though and, on some level, the billionaire knew this as well. The team filed out of the room quickly but they left the toddler there; it would probably ensure that Captain America wouldn't fly completely off the handle.

The alien playfully tapped the table and tried to catch the man's attention but he was far more interested in Tony's guilty face. He put down his newspaper with a grimace and growled, "How badly did you screw up?"

"What makes you think I've screwed up? I could just want to tell you what Peter got," the tycoon replied. His voice sounded slightly hurt, as if he was ashamed that his friend immediately thought he had failed. "No, I just need to...tell you something that _might _affect us in the future."

"I've had enough of the bloody future. Fine, what do you want to tell me then?" He seemed so fed up now that Tony was reluctant to anger him anymore. He couldn't tell why but lately, he seemed to care more if he wound his leader up. Sometimes he liked to do it and other times it was the last thing he wanted to do; he couldn't quite make sense of it.

Peter had stopped tapping now. He glared up at the star-spangled idol and tried to stutter out a sentence though he found he was quickly hushed and ignored. Tears started to build in his eyes.

"There may have been a slight hitch in our shopping day," just as he began the explanation Rogers groaned and put his hands in his head. He rested himself against the table before asking him to continue, "Well, we don't know how severe it is yet. Basically, Bruce and I were having a very important discussion about Peter and suddenly, out of no-where, this reporter showed up and-"

"WHAT?!" The shout was so loud that Fury could hear it at the top of the Tower. The child was shocked to the point of sobbing and tried to bury his little face in his new expensive jumper. "Don't you tell me, don't you dare tell me what I think you're about to!"

Stark hung his head slightly, unable to meet his leaders gaze. He felt so ashamed of his failure.

"We don't know for sure. He might have pictures of Peter. We moved as fast as we could but we won't know until tomorrow," the playboy sighed. Captain America almost exploded in the kitchen, which caused the toddler to scream and attempt to scramble away. He was too tightly buckled into his high chair. He was forced to watch the events unfold in front of him.

"You idiot! You moronic, stupid little man! Do you finally feel satisfied with yourself then?!" He shouted right in the dark-haired hero's face, so close that he could smell his breath and practically feel his rage. His blue eyes seemed to smoulder with an almost...terrifying rage.

"I didn't want this! I didn't want to get him caught," he screamed in reply as he jumped up and pushed his leader back, "He needed clothes! Do you know how hard it was to see him sitting in his own filth?!"

"What the Hell do you do, Stark?! Sitting there, drinking yourself to death, hoping that if you drink enough then you'll forget the mess around you! You are the most inconsiderate, thoughtless man I've ever met in my life! Why the Hell are you on this team?! Everything about you spells train-wreck!"

"At least I didn't need some serum to make me who I am! You're nothing but a lab experiment – something I could make and break! When will you realise if you weren't picked out of the hundreds of people, someone else would be standing here now, and you'd be in the bloody ground?!"

Peter was trying to yell above them in his childish voice. He was so terrified that tears were cascading down his cheeks which turned them a cherry red. Thor was thinking of walking in but he didn't want to get sucked into another argument between Tony and Steve. The child closed his eyes although he could still hear them.

"At least then I would have known men worth knowing! I'd rather have been dead then forced to suffer you!" Steve shouted back, "You're nothing to me! You're nothing to this team! Without you, we'd do bloody fine!"

Tony froze. Rogers glared into his intense chocolate brown eyes; the tears building up in them didn't deter him. He was a different man right now.

"I'm glad that you disappeared," the billionaire eventually choked out, "its better you were in ice. Otherwise people might remember you as a war-hero, when you were nothing but a piece of propaganda."

The room fell into silence. The only sound that could be heard was Peter singing to himself in some language they didn't know, but they didn't care right now. They were too absorbed in their argument to listen to the child they were 'helping'.

Steve suddenly reared his hand back. Things went in slowly motion as he clenched it into a fist and aimed straight for the playboy's mouth. Peter outstretched his delicate small hand and said, in an abnormally loud voice, "No!"

The child's eyes turned blood red. His black hair became streaked with gold flecks. The air around him almost seemed to chill to a freezing cold and Steve flew backwards into the wall. An unknown force had pushed him with such strength that he thought for a second the Hulk had charged in and attacked him, but when he looked there was no large green monster tearing up the kitchen. There was only him, Tony...and Peter, who still had his blood-red eyes and streaked hair as well as the outstretched hand.

"We...are...good," he spat in a slightly altered voice before collapsing on the small white table attached to his high chair. His hair returned to its natural black colour and Steve was released from the strange grip.

For a moment, no one knew what to do. When Bruce came in he saw Peter lying unconscious and suspected the worst, but when he saw how shaken the men were he realised something had gone on.

"You were arguing," he angrily pointed out, "He probably fainted from fear or something. Learn to get your bloody anger under control. It's not hard."

"Bruce...you don't understand," Tony stammered whilst he picked the child up, "Something happened there. I'm not sure what it is but-"

"You two can learn how to talk to each other like real men, and then we can talk about it, do you understand?" The scientist walked out with the fainted boy, leaving the two men to stare after him in disbelief.


	13. Evolved

The Avengers found themselves gathered around the kitchen table sometime after the incident. Steve was still getting over the fury and frustration but he knew that he had gone off the rails; how could he expect the team to look up to him when he couldn't even control his anger? How could he expect to set an example for young Peter if he did that again? He thought about this subject grimly whilst Tony stammered over the story and tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the table.

"Let me get this straight," Clint interrupted half-way through, "So you two had a massive fight in front of a kid, and got surprised when he was all upset?" The billionaire glared at their friend and gestured to him for silence.

"Yes, the fight got out of hand but that's not the point. The point is that, when Steve went to..." his voice trailed off for a moment. He remembered the contorted, furious face of his friend when he went to hit him and, with guilt hanging over his head, wondered if it that was all his fault. The last thing he wanted to do was anger the leader again – he wasn't sure why.

"I went to hit him," Captain America cut in, "I almost did. That's when Peter screamed at us and I smashed into the wall. I thought that Bruce had changed; I thought that one of you had come in to try and stop us. But it wasn't anyone of you. It was him."

The team instantly fell silent. Thor looked at them like they were possessed and, for a moment, thought about calling them both liars before retiring to bed. However he knew that they weren't lying and that he would never sleep. Black Widow stared at the table, trying to work it all out in her head.

"That means he's...telekinetic?" She eventually said. Tony nodded quickly and brought up a small holographic image of the human brain. He had spent a few minutes preparing a short presentation for them, although he could only memorise half a book about these things.

"Telekinesis is, supposedly, a benefit of the sixth sense. It has been rumoured that not only do these senses exist, but we as humans are evolving to have them bred in our brains at birth," he explained as he span the blue 3D image in front of him. Small boxes of text appeared next to the various lobes and further explained for a few moments though no one bothered to read them.

"So why does he have it?"

"He's an alien. I think that either he comes from a race of people that have this ability, or he was born with this gift separately and is on the next stage of their evolution. Whatever the reason, that doesn't matter; we've still got to focus on the point. Peter is a telekinetic. We're not sure how far his sixth sense ranges," the billionaire smiled when he thought of him. Something about the boy made him feel...happy.

Bruce closed his eyes tightly while listening to the news. There was always doubt for him that the sixth sense even existed and now, someone he cared for so greatly was displaying signs of it. Could it really be that the alien held secrets they had yet to uncover? What sorts of experiments could he do without injuring him? Why did he choose to help Tony instead of cowering as a child?

"That can wait for now," Steve sighed when the silence went on for a bit, "We don't need to immediately test him. The little man has had enough tonight. I think that we're all too tired to do anything, anyway, so we should just go to bed. Tony, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Everyone left the room quickly afterwards even though they wouldn't be able to sleep. They just didn't want to be in the room when their leader and their home-owning friend had yet another argument.

Once the team had dispersed and the hero was sure they could not hear, he turned to his dark-haired teammate with a sad expression on his face. He felt guilty for what he did – for threatening the playboy with violence – and he wanted to atone for it.

"I'm sorry I lost the plot back there."

Tony narrowed his eyes as he turned the holographic projector off, "No problem. You're not the type to get that angry. 'Guess I just get under people's skins."

"No. Well, yes, but not all the time. I mean, I would never get that angry with you without your suit on. I mean, I wouldn't hit you when you were wearing it. I wouldn't hit you. I only did it because-"

"You have got the worst apologies I have ever heard," the tycoon laughed loudly whilst he stammered and stumbled, "But I get what you're saying. I know you wouldn't ever want to hit me, Steve – you can't beat me up even if you tried."

Although it was an insult the leader heard the humour inside it. They smiled at each other, forgiving themselves at that moment, before Tony stood up and looked out of the window. The moon was just beginning to rise above the massive buildings and dangle in the beautiful inky blue sky. He normally wouldn't appreciate it; since meeting the beloved little alien however he found things much more...majestic than he had before.

"I do care for Peter, you know," he pointed out quietly. The blonde-haired man stood up behind him.

"I know you do. I was angry, said things I shouldn't have. I know you care for him just as much as anyone else here."

"I shouldn't have taken him out. I was so sure things were going to go right. Things always usually go right when I do that. I can't keep taking risks with him anymore, so I think you've got to take over where I've screwed up."

Rogers raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms, standing just a little bit taller than the Ironman legend.

"Peter will never let that happen. Let's face facts here. You and him are too close now. I've been watching the way he looks at you," he smiled slightly; "I'm surprised you can't. You spend so much time together; you didn't see the way he looks up to you? He's in complete awe."

Stark felt a smile erupting on his face. He was thrilled to know the child cared for him as well. Steve moved forward to pat his broad back and looked up at the sky with his friend. The billionaire turned around with a smile before hugging him tightly. At heart, he thought he would be pushed away so he was surprised when he had arms wrapped around him as well.

"Thanks for apologising," his voice was small and meek now, compared to how it was beforehand.

"No problem. That's what friends do for each other."

He couldn't help but feel that 'friends' was out of place.


	14. Breakfast with Scientists

Tony awoke the next morning feeling un-rested. The night had provided no much needed refreshment or relaxation – instead it had only worsened his condition as he was too nervous to go and switch on the news. The plasma screen television stood in the corner of the room, taunting him, almost telling him to switch it on and see their secret broadcast all over the world.

He decided that it was best to do it with everyone around. If he saw Peter's face on there alone he thought he would fly into a rage and start to do things he'd regret, so it was a good idea to be with someone who could hold him down or calm him when things got out of hand. Putting on a brave front, he ran downstairs to the warm smell of bacon and eggs being cooked in the kitchen.

"My friend, you're awake for breakfast!" Thor had been relaxing near the stairs with a giant coffee as Tony appeared, "You are going to enjoy the news I have!"

The God followed him into the kitchen and they took their places beside Bruce. The billionaire looked at the little high chair to see Peter nibbling innocently on toast, and a smile erupted on his face. He was so overjoyed to see the child's delicate face that he couldn't help expressing his happiness in a small, "Morning everyone!"

The alien looked up whilst licking butter from his slightly rounded cheeks. He ran a hand through his dark hair and spread the yellowy substance in his locks which caused the people around him to laugh. All except for Steve who lovingly started to wipe his fingers and coo softly into his ear. The team seemed to be in such a good mood that Tony wondered what news Thor had to offer him.

Before he could ask however, the Asgardian started wolfing down platefuls of sausage and bacon and eggs washed down with oceans of coffee. Peter watched in awe as the God put away more food then he had ever seen in his life, clearing away half of the banquet in front of them on the pristine white table. Rogers laughed whilst trying to clean his little fingers off.

"Why's everyone so happy then? What's got everyone in such a good mood?" The tycoon asked. He sampled some of the coffee that Bruce had made and, despite the noticeable lack of cinnamon, complimented his fellow scientist on a job almost-well-done. The man-turned-monster swatted him playfully with a newspaper.

"Didn't you turn on the television this morning, sir?" A robotic voice echoed through the kitchen which made Peter look up. His face stretched into a frown when he could not see anyone above him but he continued to hear the voice, "The news stations are broadcasting about political upheaval in the Middle East. There are no reports about you or your little alien friend."

Suddenly, Tony felt a great weight lift off his shoulders. He breathed out a breath he didn't know he was holding and bent his head down slightly. The child, fearing him to be hurt, leaned forward and started to mutter to him in his small soft voice.

"Hurt? To-knee...hurt?"

The playboy smiled, looking up at the adorable child sitting so nicely beside Steve. The super soldier was trying to get the butter out of his down-like hair but stopped for a moment to gaze down at the toddler, with love in his eyes. He looked up at his friends who were waiting for the billionaire's reply.

"No, Pete, I'm not hurt," he answered, "I'm relieved. The big voice? That's JARVIS – it's a big computer. He's just told me some great news; you can stay here longer now because of it. Come on, eat up."

The rest of the meal went on much the same. The team humorously poked fun at each other as they chewed on expertly cooked food and enjoyed the sweet innocent input that their little alien would put in every now and then. Bruce turned to Rogers after a while with a serious expression in his eyes.

"I'm going to start experiments soon with him," he said, "To get a better idea of his ability range. I'll need him to be left alone for a few days – as in not introduced to any different environment – so it's probably best that he stays inside. Will that be alright?"

"Why would we take him out after what happened last time?" Thor said and stared at the man, "That would be a foolish idea. Do you not think that our friends are more clever than that?"

Bruce rolled his eyes before completely ignoring the God, "And I'm going to ask that his diet stays specifically controlled; nothing too sweet and sugary. I want there to be as many factors controlled during these experiments as humanely possible."

The leader looked at his friend, and then at the alien. Now he was happily gnawing on a tough piece of sausage that his tiny baby teeth could not quite manage, although his eyes darted towards the conversation. A glint showed in them – understanding maybe? It would be a miracle if he did understand.

"I don't know...Tony, what do you think?" Everyone turned their head to the genius. He was nervous about letting the child go in for more testing, especially after the treatment he had last time, but he had faith that Bruce would make it as comfortable as he could and would not intentionally hurt the child. He just hoped that the decision was the right one.

"Sounds reasonable," he concluded, "I want him to stay in my room though. He's been in that environment more than the new room. It'll be better for him to just stay there."

When the team were in agreement their faces beamed down at the small boy. He still sat there but now he had stopped eating and was watching them very closely, absorbing everything that was being said. Did he know what was about to happen? Did he care?

"Ti-tired...hurts...eyes..." He stammered. Steve stood up and took him delicately from his high-chair, turning back to face the team with a small smile on his face.

"Tony, I need to talk to you later. Come and see me at around lunch, will ya?" He said as he disappeared upstairs.


	15. Play it Safe

Bruce and Tony retired to the laboratory soon after breakfast. Their expertly skilled minds were instantly working on humane experiments that were accurate and safe for Peter but the billionaire found himself distracted. Why did Steve want to talk to him? What could be so important that he didn't say it in front of everyone else? He was so curious that his calculations were coming out incorrect, frustrating his fellow scientist.

The man-turned-monster sighed as he corrected yet another mistake and turned to a large sheet of re-enforced glass. JARVIS was setting an obstacle course around them with these computations – if the playboy kept making mistakes they would have to scrap the whole thing.

"Why do you keep getting these wrong? You're normally good at this," he sighed, "And because its Peter hanging in the balance, I thought you'd take extra care."

Stark narrowed his eyes before chucking a pen at his friend's head. The genius ducked and smiled smugly at him.

"I'm just wondering what Steve is going to tell me. You know – aside from saying I'm the most devilishly handsome and talented out of all of us," the tycoon replied as he redid the equations. His hands were shaking when he checked over the numbers; he didn't want to be the reason something went wrong and hurt the child.

"Be careful Tony. I don't think this room is big enough for us and your ego." Bruce laughed at his joke whilst JARVIS started to make the final preparations. The finishing touches included bubble wrap around the metallic boxes, and a mattress set up in the area where Peter would be tested. This was just to satisfy the billionaire that the alien would be safe during the experiment, even though they weren't using anything particularly high-tech aside from mechanical measuring equipment.

"Shut up Banner," he laughed, "JARVIS, is everything ready for the first set of experiments?"

"Yes sir. I have computed that the obstacle if front of you is challenging and accurate measurements can be taken, whilst still being safe for our alien friend."

"Good. Tomorrow we'll be trying to test his telekinetic abilities," Bruce cut in, "If anything goes wrong it can damage not only the results but Peter's health. The latter is more important to us though; take every possible precaution and reduce every possibility that these could happen."

Stark smiled at his friend. He appreciated the amount of care that he invested, although he would never tell him, and thought he might buy him a little anonymous 'Thank You' gift when he had the time. Maybe glasses that were less of an eye-sore.

As they were finishing up Thor came bounding into the room, almost wrecking the course when he smashed the door open. The God didn't seem to know his own strength this planet and he always managed to break something important or expensive – it was a fault he blamed on the fragility of earthly objects.

"Bruce! I wondered where you were hiding! We're going out – do you want to come?" His voice was loud and echoed around the room but after shaking his head a few times the scientist nodded.

"Who's coming?"

"You and I, Ms. Romanoff, Clint, and Nicholas. We're going to see a film at the cinema," he looked at Tony whom he would have invited, if he wasn't already having lunch with Steve. The billionaire gestured that it was alright.

"Sure, I could do with a break," the scientist grabbed his large coat from behind the door, replacing his white lab coat quickly, "I'll talk to you about further preparations later; I think Peter needs some attention now."

The team were getting ready in the foyer whilst Steve clattered about in the kitchen. A warm smell of steak and hot soup poured out from the archway and Tony saw him staring hard at the oven. Did he think it was going to disappear?

"To-knee!" He turned to see the dark-haired child rushing out from the sitting room and bumping into everyone, "To-knee!"

"Hey Pete, ready for lunch then?" He asked whilst picking him up and smiling widely. Something about the boy made him smile without even trying.

He nodded vigorously and, as the team started to exit through the foyer to the door, he gave them all a wave with a tear in his eye. He said in his struggling voice, "Be...safe...for-ev-er." The tycoon stroked his soft hair to sooth him.

"They'll be back later kiddo. They'll probably come back after the film, and then annoy us by spoiling the ending," Tony laughed as he cuddled the child to his shoulder, "Are you playing at the moment?"

When Peter shook his head the playboy took him back to the large sitting room and inspected his toys. They were neatly piled up in some sort of weird order but they weren't being played with, so the dark-haired hero got down and started to pick them up. The child toddled towards the set-up chess table that the man-turned-monster had been playing earlier that morning.

The billionaire looked over as he started to tap on the little black and white pieces, "I think that game's a bit advanced for you. It's really a game for very clever people...and Bruce."

"P...play!" The squeals told Tony that he was not going to win this fight, so he simply sat down on the other side and started to set up the sleek wooden pieces. They had been polished recently, and the board cleaned; the scientist must have wanted to play a lot if he was taking this sort of care. Quickly he explained the rules although he knew that he would probably let them slide for the sake of the newcomer.

He took the first go. Moving a pawn two spaces ahead, his chocolate brown eyes flicked up at Peter who was staring down hard at the board. For a moment he wondered whether he should distract him with something else and let him forget about the game but, just before he could, the alien moved his own piece ahead two spaces.

The game went on and everything around them disappeared. The sofa's started to dissolve and the walls began to melt into blackness as the pieces continued moving. The paintings and the television dispersed like small seeds before the curtains started to fly away into the distance. Tony tapped his finger over his mouth whenever it was his turn – the child was driving him into a corner.

Peter watched the genius closely. His movements were all too predictable for him; there were not enough possible moves that would surprise the alien.

"I think you'll find that I'm about to win," the billionaire finally said as he moved his King, "There's no way that-"

Suddenly the child grabbed his Rook and moved it to the edge of where Tony's piece stood. He smiled and looked up with his innocent, dark eyes. The expert had been defeated by a Guillotine Checkmate.

Stark stared at the boy until his eyes started to hurt. How had the child done that? How could he have beaten him so easily? Was he right about the intelligence all along?

"Tony, Peter! Lunch is ready!"


	16. Lunch Talk

The kitchen table was heaving with food when Tony entered. Steaks, soup, spaghetti and bowls of sides including a huge punch bowl of fruit – it was like he was feeding forty rather than three. Steve started to strap Peter into his blue and white highchair as the billionaire took his place next to them, his eyes never leaving the child. He was concentrating so hard he had barely noticed the feast in front of him.

"Something wrong?" The leader asked with worry glinting in his eyes. He had been so careful to make the foods Tony liked, as he wanted him in a good mood for their discussion. Was he in the mood for something else? Was he not hungry?

"Nothing's wrong. Pete just beat me at a game of chess; who taught him how to play?" The billionaire asked whilst absent-mindedly putting steak and spaghetti on his plate. He was not even paying attention to what was on there, he simply wanted to eat and he didn't care what he ate.

"Chess? Don't look at me. I can't understand that game," the super soldier answered, "Too many rules and possibilities. Maybe Bruce gave him some tips or taught him how to play? I don't know."

The genius shrugged before biting into the edge of a steak. It was succulent and tender, if not cooked the way he liked, and he nodded to his friend as he put some on the alien's plate. Peter wasn't too interested in the food although he graciously nibbled on some steak and tried to pick up a spaghetti piece with his fork. It kept slipping through and, frustrated, he pushed his face into the plate like a dog to start chomping on it. Tony rolled his eyes with his lips stretched into a smile.

"What did you want to talk to me about anyway?" He asked when Steve took a bit of his lunch. In his haste to reply the leader started to splutter and choke on his food. The billionaire slapped his back to clear his airway which worked, to the point where the steak fell down the hero's throat whole. He blushed at his friend.

"I wanted to talk about changes in the Tower. I mean, changes in our behaviour now that little Peter's here," he said, "Things like the irresponsible experiments, the wild parties, the strange women and the swearing have to go. The little man needs to be in a safe haven until we can find an alternative solution."

Stark thought carefully for a moment. He knew he would have to agree to it if he wanted to keep the child safe, but he could not help realising that was his weekend and most of his week gone. He would have to stop being an opportunist bachelor in favour for being a more father-like figure, or at least a fun-loving careless uncle. There was not much he could look forward to if he said yes...except the comfort that Peter was safe and secure in his company. He could always remember what he sacrificed was to make the alien stay in their care, and when he could guide him through the obstacles later on in life he was sure they wouldn't seem so attractive to him anyway.

"Sure. But, what else is there? You wouldn't have called me in privately just to talk about that," he said. A nagging feeling inside the tycoon that Peter was going to be a lot of trouble in the future, but he didn't care. He wanted to keep the child and there was nothing he wouldn't do to keep him in Stark Tower.

"There's always the trouble we'll get from the facility. I have some ways we can get around that but we need to focus on the here and now – at least that's what I've been told – and right now we have to think about Peter's...current situation. He needs definite parent-figures."

Tony raised his eyebrows. The alien did not get confused with the Avengers raising him the way they did although he did agree with Steve. His beloved newcomer would start to get perplexed if they raised him like this all the time; when they got into disagreements about something he needed a definitive figure to make a final decision.

"I will," he offered, "I think I'd be good as a father. At least he'd get his schoolwork done and one hundred percent right."

Steve rolled his eyes before saying, "I'm sure you would. And when he's out having massive parties and generally drinking himself to death, he'll be exactly like you. You'll need someone else to help you look after him – someone to balance it out."

The billionaire didn't even argue with his leader. There was no doubt in his mind that the child would probably copy his previous lifestyle in an attempt to rebel, even if he became boring.

"And who exactly would do that? Tasha? Bruce? Thor?"

"I was thinking more...me?"

The suggestion surprised Tony more than anything. The super soldier had not shown any interest in being a fatherly figure towards the alien, save being a good host for him, and he was slightly wary about taking it seriously. Steve had an odd sense of humour; things he said as jokes usually came out sounding completely serious.

"Eh?"

"I thought I'd be good at balancing you out. You could be, well, yourself, and I could be the disciplinary for him. Besides, he needs someone to teach him football. You'd probably keep him indoors all day over some old book," Rogers' smile was light and humour-filled although in his head he knew it was right. His genius friend didn't know how to live a healthy lifestyle aside from working out and occasionally eating.

Peter was trying to pour some juice whilst the men talked. They had been so absorbed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed the child using his telekinetic skills to pick up the carton and pour the orange liquid into a large, clear glass. His blood red eyes stared at it in intense concentration and his hair's blonde streaks reflected the sunlight streaming through the window.

"I suppose that could be alright," he eventually said. The men smiled and started to eat, completely missing the use of Peter's powers, until JARVIS interrupted them.

"Sir, there is someone at the door. Are you in, or are you out?"

The dark-haired playboy jumped out of his seat and left the pristine kitchen to open the door. The alien started to suddenly scream as if he were being killed and caused Steve to jump. He collected the child quickly and went into a separate room; he didn't want the person at the door to know they had the boy with them or even think there was a toddler present.

Tony swung the door open with a manufactured smile, but stopped dead. His heart started pounding in his chest. His forehead became suddenly sweaty. His mind started to go mad with all the things he could say or would say whilst he stared out at this person. Why did it have to happen? Why did they choose today?

"Hello Mr. Stark, we're from the facility. We want to talk to you."


	17. Do You Know that he Doesn't Know?

The team were starting to return home. The film pickings were slim, and the one they did see was absolutely awful, so they skipped all the squealing fans in favour of getting back to their residence. All of them wanted to see little Peter, playing with his toys or watching television. They had not stopped thinking about their newcomer.

"Is Peter going to be his final name?" Natasha asked as they sat in the limo, "Because I don't think he suits it. I think he'd do better with a different name."

Bruce raised his head from his pocket language-book and said, "What kind of name are you thinking about?"

"I think Adalfieri is a brilliant name. It's exotic and different from everyone else's name," her huge smile seemed to almost light the car up, although anything could do that to this sleek black style. Thor's eyebrows rose before he looked over to his friends – he had learnt that if he couldn't say anything nice, then he shouldn't say anything at all.

"Adalfieri would be a lovely name, but I don't think he quite suits it either Tasha," the man-turned-monster replied tactfully, "Besides, the name given to him has sort of stuck now, don't you think? We'd do much better just calling him that; we don't want to confuse him too much do we?"

She knew that he was being polite instead of outwardly saying her idea was stupid but she didn't call him on it. Sometimes things were better left unsaid although she still thought her new name was better. He would be far more noticeable...for a reason despite his unearthly telekinesis.

The ride was silent for a little while. Clint put his arm around the fair-haired beauty as he watched the greyish streets wiz past. Odd splashes of colour like moving billboards and shop decorations lined the boring roads but he didn't really focus on them; he was too busy paying attention to the lady who he loved. They smiled at each other whilst Fury watched the driver closely.

"So, what do you think Steve wanted to talk to Tony about today?" Thor asked suddenly. The scientist sighed and put his book back into his pocket. There was no way he was going to learn any Danish with all these questions being asked.

"Probably just something about the little guy," he sighed, "Steve might've wanted to ask him about the whole room situation. We haven't exactly decorated it properly, have we?"

The God nodded, remembering their poor attempts to make it more homely for him. They only managed to clear it of the clutter and buy a blue carpet in addition to lovely dark blue curtains. There wasn't even any painting on the walls or hanging pictures to make it more comfortable, although it didn't matter right now since he would be sleeping in Tony's room until the tests were over.

"Are you all blind?" Fury suddenly piped up. Everyone looked at him with confused faces, whilst bringing their legs up on the comfy leather seats, "I know what they really want to talk about. They basically say it every day with their constant arguing and bitching at each other, especially since the boy came along."

Even Bruce was baffled by his friend's words. The man was closely tied into them with the child, and they basically told him everything that was going to be happening with him, but he had not seen any difference in their usual behaviour. Nicholas however was trained to see the slight alterations in human nature – the ex-agent was always on top of his team's emotions.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Nick," Clint growled, "We don't know what's going through their heads at the moment. I don't even think they know what's going on. They're both so focused on Pete that there isn't room for understanding anything else."

"Be quiet, Clint. We all know that, if anyone is to know anything about human nature, it's Nicholas. What do you think is wrong with them?" Thor's words were kind but concentrated. The Asgardian was getting frustrated with the constant uncertainty the team felt; he didn't know whether they were on the edge of a massive argument. Things were getting too intense.

Despite this, he did not think that the alien was causing these rising tensions. It was most likely their own incompetence to function as responsible adults.

"You seriously can't see it? Wow, you must be blind, otherwise you're all just dumb," he sighed as he poured himself a glass of scotch. Tony would go mad if he knew they were cracking into the expensive stuff – it made him smile whenever he thought about the red face and gritted teeth.

"Just tell us, Fury!"

"They're feeling things for each other!" He replied with a laugh. The car went silent. The driver glanced in the rear-view mirror. Bruce raised his eyebrows. "None of you know?"

The Avengers shook their heads. How were they to know that their supposedly straight friends were beginning to like each other? Especially the irresponsible billionaire! Next to the ever sensible super soldier, they would look like a genuine odd couple.

"Don't be silly man!"

"Oh come on! They're forever fighting and arguing; they're the only people that can really get underneath each other's skins! I do not think they know it yet though so keep the idea under your hats. The last thing we need is them avoiding each other, trying to stave off the inevitable."

"How can you even be sure? They might just really not like each other."

"Romanoff, you should know more than anyone that's not the case. They fight each other because they want a reaction. They want to feel noticed by each other. When the kid came along, they both suddenly start feeling paternal emotions towards him and strive to look after him. They spent that night together, remember Bruce?"

The scientist could recall finding them asleep on the facility's pristine floor, huddled up together in some massive mound. Peter had been there although he had disappeared by then - it was their own comfort that kept them sleeping.

"I'm sure they were just tired!"

"Don't be stupid Bruce. You know that they had voluntarily got into that position, and when the kid woke up they didn't. They were comfortable. They were happy. You'll all see when we get home."

The rest of the ride was intense. All anyone could think about was the possibility of their two friends loving each other in such secrecy, that they didn't even know themselves. Even when the Tower was in sight their heads were spinning with Fury's suggestion. Could it be possible? Could they really be falling in love, or was it just a little man-crush?

Thor was the first one to go. He had collected a small bag of sweets for Peter and was looking forward to giving him them, so when he burst into the door he immediately shouted, "Little one! I've brought you sweets from the cinema! Have you eaten lunch?"

The God skidded to a halt. The bag fell to the floor with a massive thud, sending the different coloured candies flying in their clear wrappers. The team flooded in behind him to see what was wrong and, when they saw, almost went pale with shock.

Tony sat in the foyer with two smartly dressed me who looked like they were from 'Men in Black'. They wore giant earpieces and pressed shirts with black ties, although they didn't quite have the sunglasses or de-neuralisers.

"Welcome back Avengers," the pretty brunette said before putting her scotch glass down, right next to an indifferent looking Tony, "Who are the sweets for?"


	18. Convincing

The team were completely silent. Tony's eyes momentarily filled with disbelief before dulling back to indifference, although he was furious. How could Thor have bounded in saying that? Didn't he understand the term, 'secret' or 'illegal?' The billionaire knew he was being unreasonable – he couldn't have known about the agents – but he was so upset that they might lose Peter he wasn't concentrating on anything else.

"Sir, who are the sweets for?" The beautiful brunette repeated as she toyed with her long hair. She was often thinking about the God when she was off-the-clock even though she never mixed business and her obsession together. He stammered on an answer, on something to say, and the thing that came out seemed to do nothing but make things worse.

"My son," Thor eventually spit out. As soon as the words left his mouth, he could scarcely believe he had said it. The team around him almost seemed to crumble with an inaudible groan.

"Oh, you have a son? Funny, I haven't seen him reported on any news. What's the little guy's name?" Her voice was sickly sweet whilst her eyes raked over the man's body. She was cursing herself in her head; meeting the man of her dreams and not being equipped with her best silk black dress or sleek black stilettos. If only she wasn't working! So many suitable bachelors!

"P-P-P..." The Asgardian could not think of a name. The only one flashing in his mind was Peter's and, if he were to say that, they would definitely be blown out of the water.

"Penis," Clint suddenly said. His eyes went wide whilst he covered his mouth – had he just said that?! He was in so much trouble! Fury turned around to glare at him, before Romanoff punched him in his ribcage. The place was silent for just a second until Tony bounced in.

"Sangria. Penis-Sangria," the tycoon improvised, "It's an old Asgardian name. Unfortunately your mum came to pick him up earlier, Thor, so Penis-Sangria isn't here. But she did ask me to give you a message. 'Keep your loud mouth shut before you get someone into trouble'. She said you'd understand."

The God nodded as he stepped aside. The brunette gave him a discreet wink, getting up from her seat with a tight smile on her face. Steve walked in with a big tray-full of tea and biscuits although he knew they probably wouldn't take any. Bruce thought for a second how much he looked like a mother; it was as if he had stepped out of his hardened super soldier skin and put on a lovely outfit of comfort.

"The alien has been missing for over two weeks. We have been arguing that he has escaped and, if that is the case, then we should drop this and go back to our equally as fascinating experiments," she said in her alluring voice whilst her co-worker sipped his scotch quietly, "However we must rule out all possible suspects and you, Mr. Stark, are at the top of that list. Did you think we wouldn't find it suspicious? A forever bachelor suddenly spending all his time with an alien in glass? We are worried you think you can get away from us."

Tony shrugged his shoulders and took a large gulp of his drink. On any normal day he would've tried to seduce the lady with his riches, intelligence and general good looks, however today he just wanted her out of his Tower. It was like the awkward morning conversations he had with his one night stands.

"I thought it was very unfair. He was in that tiny jar for days, all alone, without any toys or games. This doesn't mean that I'm a thief though – we all know that the alien was government property," with a sigh, he felt regret capturing his heart. Why would they ever refer to him as property? As a possession to be owned and used, not a person to be loved and treasured. It made him unusually depressed.

"The government?! Oh no, nothing as trivial as the government. We're on such a higher power that your commanders wish they could attend the social parties we throw," she laughed with such force he thought she was going to collapse from exhaustion.

"We always assumed-" Bruce was cut off by a sharp look from his leader. They couldn't get into a fight right now, or even question her, because they had the small child hidden somewhere in the Tower. If they angered her she could start searching just to spite them and find the little boy.

"Well, everything seems to check out here," the male agent said, standing up and looking around the grand foyer, "We're sorry we wasted your time sir. As you know we have to check everyone out."

Tony felt his shoulders ease for a second when Steve directed them to the door, until they heard a little crash. The agents looked up sharply. They looked at the billionaire with narrowed eyes before storming into the kitchen and pulling apart the drawers. Bruce rushed in, instantly spying the child hiding in a small half-opened cupboard. He casually moved over to the quivering boy and closed the door with a swipe of his leg.

They were looking for a full twenty minutes. The kitchen looked like a tornado had hit it, with pieces of paper scattered around and cutlery poured all over the floor. Who did they expect would clear that up? Steve would probably start polishing everything if they let him.

"Things get knocked over all the time with JARVIS in operation," Tony called coldly, "He's got a few bugs I've yet to work out. Until then I think we can handle a few broken jars every now and again, don't you?"

The agents, slightly embarrassed but glad they did their jobs, left the Tower soon after. The billionaire watched as their car pulled out and started hurtling off to some other poor saps' house at eighty miles an hour. They didn't move, barely breathed, until they were sure the agents were safely gone.

Peter was let out and like a ball of energy, ran up into Tony's arms with tears cascading down his face. He was so terrified that he thought everyone else around him was going to trap him, even though he knew deep down they wouldn't. The tycoon glared at everyone around him before stomping up the stairs, the little boy nuzzling into his chest whilst sobbing.

"Tony-" Steve said but was cut short.

"Just don't say anything."

They could do nothing but watch their friend disappear up the stairs.


	19. Don't Go

Hours passed with silence in the Tower. Tony did not reappear downstairs, not even for dinner, and the team were starting to get worried about him. Peter was in his room as well although they had also not seen the child since the agents left, which caused Steve to get unusually concerned with the pair's well-being. Late that night, when everyone else had retired to their rooms, he found himself wandering the hallways and going straight to the billionaire's chambers without thinking. He just couldn't sleep without knowing his friend and the boy were okay.

The super soldier didn't know how long he stood outside. The door was tightly shut, locked, and he did not know if he should knock or wait until the morning to disturb them. Even his voice of reason was telling him to turn back...but his heart was telling him to break down the door and get in as quickly as he could.

_They're probably asleep, _he thought, _you're only going to wake Peter up and get Tony even angrier with you. Just go back to bed and come back tomorrow – he'll be more willing to talk then._

Despite the well reasoned argument his brain gave, he still knocked on the door and waited impatiently for Tony to answer. He could hear shuffling past the entrance and a soft voice hushing someone inside before the lock snapped open. Rogers felt beads of sweat trickling down his head as the white wooden door swung on its hinges to reveal the tycoon. His face was angry, frustrated, although it seemed to ease slightly when he caught sight of his friend.

"Oh, Steve, it's just you," he said whilst beckoning him in, "I thought it'd be Bruce or Thor. I don't think I can quite stomach guests right now."

The room was a complete mess. Two bags were on Tony's large bed, with Peter slapping one playfully, and all his clothes were scattered on the floor in a disorganised muddle. It was as if he were packing for something.

"What's all this?" The soldier asked whilst touching the bags, "Why are you packing?"

Tony gave him an almost pained look before picking Peter up and turning to look out at the nightclubs. He had never thought about something this drastic, this life-changing, but when the alien arrived he knew that things were going to change in his life. He was willing to do this just for the safety of his precious little visitor.

"I'm leaving Steve. I'm taking Peter away from here – somewhere we won't be found – and hopefully they'll stop looking for him. I was hoping to move away to England and live in the countryside with him. Don't you think he'd have a much better life here than there?"

For a moment, Rogers was mystified. He couldn't find words that could express his complete disgust with the idea, or his pain at the thought of his friend leaving, even though he had often joked with him that's all they wanted him to do. And with the added insult of the child being taken as well...he just didn't know what to say.

"You can't leave Tony. You can't just get up and go; people will recognise who you are! You're Ironman, for God's sakes!" The leader finally shouted, "You're part of the Avengers! What are we supposed to do without you here?!"

Stark was surprised at the reaction but came back with a quick retort, "You can do the Avengers without me! I don't know how I'll sneak who I am past people but I have to try, don't I? You heard those agents. Whatever organisation they belong to, they're bigger than the government, and whatever we try to do they're going to take Peter. I can't just keep him here Steve; I just can't watch them take him one day."

Tears started building in his chocolate brown eyes as he stroked the child's head. Peter was gazing off outside the window so he had not paid attention to the conversation, however he could feel the tension running off of them. He was starting to get agitated and nuzzled further into Tony's shoulder.

"You can't leave though. What makes you think they won't find you anywhere else? At least here you'd have your friends to look after you! Come on Anthony – don't do this. Don't take him away and don't punish yourself. We can't function without you."

The soldier took the toddler from his genius friends' arms and cradled him gently. His heart was pounding through his chest because he was upset but it soon calmed when he gazed down at the small child. He could never just watch him get on a plane and leave.

"Why not? Why can't you let me go Steve? We can't let Peter be stolen from us, and that means we have to leave," Tony replied as a single tear fell down his face. He wiped it away with frustration; his father taught him not to cry. Men don't cry. Men do what they have to without a single tear. So why did he just want to curl up and sob?

Steve stopped. He stared down at the child and then at his friend...and realised something. It wasn't just the team that couldn't survive without them - it was him. He didn't want to watch the billionaire leave just as much as he didn't want to watch Peter leave. A warm feeling rose in his chest whenever he was with them and he didn't want that to go away. He didn't want Tony to find a new life somewhere else, without him.

Without thinking, his hand reached out and clasped the tycoon's. He looked deeply into his chocolate brown eyes with a loving, affectionate smile before leaning down and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. Stark was surprised at the action, and even more surprised when he found his hands cupping the hero's face gently instead of pulling away in disgust. It felt like the kiss was long overdue.

"I can't live without you here, Tony," he whispered when they softly parted, "Just stay here, with me. Please?"

Peter looked at the playboy almost expectantly. He had not done the usual child-like thing and act repulsed at any affection which he noted as strange, but right now Tony could think of nothing else but his friend. More than his friend. Could he really risk the safety of the alien because he didn't want to leave Steve?

He didn't have time to think it over before he found his mouth saying, "I'll stay."

Steve smiled and pulled the man in for a hug. The billionaire nuzzled his face into his shoulder and put one hand on Peter's back, thinking about how they must've looked like a family right now.

"We'll protect Pete, Tony. I promise you we'll protect him."


	20. I'll Save You

The heroes had decided not to tell the team about their relationship. With Peter still in their care and the facility's mysterious threat, they were certain the revelation would only disorganise everyone. Besides, Tony was more preoccupied with the experiments the child would be going through that day to worry about it.

He made sure everything in the laboratory was clean before allowing the boy inside. The equipment was sterilised despite not needing to be, the floor was mopped and the machines were given a quick, careful wipe over with a pristine cloth until they almost sparkled. Bruce noticed this unnecessary amount of care but did not say anything – he daren't anger his friend after what happened yesterday. The playboy still hadn't spoken about it although the scientist knew he wouldn't want to. What was the point in talking about something like that? Tony would only get wound up and snap at him.

"We ready to start the test?" The billionaire asked him whilst prepping the child. Peter smiled up at the man playfully as he felt the tickle of his clothes being adjusted and the bounciness of the mattress underneath him.

"Sure. The glass we're going to stand behind should ensure that, if anything is to go wrong, he and we should be fine," Bruce said, inspecting his clipboard. The sheet held an empty table but he wasn't sure if he used to right one and he was too embarrassed to ask for Tony's help with it. Especially as the thing they were measuring was his precious visitor's apparent power.

They stood behind the glass quickly and tapped on the machine in front of them. It ran silently although flashing with all sorts of different numbers and colours when they started the test. Peter looked at them with a confused expression – why were they standing behind there and not with him? Had he done something wrong? Was he in trouble? The glass just reminded him about the facility's prison...

"Alright Pete," Stark said into a small microphone which echoed through the lab, "We're going to run a simulation now. The boxes are going to hurt the team and you have to protect us, okay? Let's go."

The child did not understand what he was asking. He could see the unmoving solid boxes in front of him wrapped in some sort of 'bubbly' substance but he couldn't see how they would attack them. Maybe he was asking the boy to pretend?

"Not...Not going..." He pointed out in his childish voice. He saw the encouraging smiles from the friends and wondered, for a moment, if they were going to try and get rid of him; however he discarded the thought when he could see no facility agents looming in the clean lab.

Bruce frowned. It wasn't like the child to not understand what they were asking. He was usually so aware of whatever was going on around him – it was odd to see him confused on something. Thinking quickly, the scientist clicked the button on the microphone and began to talk to him.

"The boxes are filled with explosives. If you don't use your powers on them right now, they will blow up and the only thing that will survive will be the Tower. Save us, Pete, save us!" His acting skills were perfect as he started squealing and Tony raised one eyebrow at him. Peter looked up with a horrified expression before running over to the glass, smashing his tiny fist against it like he wanted to smash it and reach the men.

"You've frightened him Bruce," the tycoon growled angrily whilst reached over to the locked glass door, "Why would you do that?"

Bruce pointed to him and shouted, "Don't open that door!"

"Why the Hell not? He's getting upset you idiot!"

"First of all, masters degrees and doctorates. Secondly; if we allow Peter to get upset his powers seem to activate as a defence mechanism. Remember what you told me about when you and Steve had that fight, and that's the first time he used his telekinesis?"

The billionaire nodded with twinges of regret tugging in his chest. Why had he ever fought so fiercely with the super soldier?

"He seems to have intensified control of it when upset or scared. Just sit back and try to block out the noises. I know it hurts right now but we need to see how strong he is."

Stark reluctantly stepped backwards. He couldn't force himself to look at the child's red, crying face, even though he could hear the screams no matter what he did. Thor, who was listening to 'good music' that Romanoff had given him, could hear the faint whispers of the child from inside the sitting room but dismissed it to playing.

"No! No! I'll...save...you!" Peter suddenly turned around to stare at the metallic boxes ahead of him. The glass became covered in condensation as the air chilled around the child and his eyes turned the familiar blood-red. His dark hair streaked with gold flecks and the men found themselves strangely...mystified. The boy must have wielded immense power trapped inside his little body.

The room around them started to rattle. Boxes flew all over it like oddly shaped planes and the machines started to rumbled as they began to break apart. Peter raised his arms before screaming in a language unknown to the men, although they had fallen to the floor with an inability to get back up. It was as if an earthquake was shaking the Tower to its foundations.

Thor smashed through the door like he was alert to the fact the child felt he was in peril. The God rushed towards the boy and snatched him up, instantly setting about to calm him. His deep voice shushed the child whilst a hand cuddled his head to his shoulder.

"You are safe, spaceman," he whispered into his ear, "You are safe in this Tower. Calm down, listen to me, you will never fear anything when you sit in this Tower."

The metal boxes fell to the ground; they were stripped bare of their bubble wrap outfits and the mattress slammed against a wall before slowly sliding down. Tony and Bruce started to stand like they were taking their first steps.

Peter had fallen unconscious on the Asgardian's shoulder. It was almost an exact replica of the first time although he seemed much cosier on Thor's shoulder than on the highchair table.

"Is he okay?!" Tony gasped as he burst out of the glass shield, "He's not hurt or anything is he? Is he breathing?!"

"Be calm, my friend! Your little guest is sleeping quite comfortably."

"Did you see that?!" Bruce exclaimed whilst following his friend, "That was incredible! I've never seen anything like it! There's no way we're going to recreate that – we couldn't even take measurements this time Tony!"

The tycoon wasn't even listening to him. He stared at the small child snoozing on his friend, wondering whether he should try to wake him up or tell Steve what happened immediately so he wouldn't find out from someone else.

The genius brushed his down-like hair with the tips of his fingers and took him gently into his arms. There was so much power and potential encased in his small frame...but all he could see was a boy in desperate need of a family. Why didn't he see the possibilities with this power harnessed? Why was it different? Why was he prepared to give up everything just to ensure the child had a little comfort?

The experiment had only intensified his feelings.


	21. What is Wrong?

Peter was asleep in Tony's room for hours after that. The scientists started compiling what they already knew about him – how they had only seen the child using his powers for defence so far – but what they knew was very little. There was no way they could write a detailed analysis using this measly information. The billionaire dreaded to think about what he would tell the team, even more so what he would tell Steve. His 'friend' was looking forward to understanding the boy a bit more although he was going to be severely disappointed. The report consisted of three paragraphs that were actual fact and more than three pages of theories about why his hair and eyes changed colour or the air chilled around him.

Dinner that night was fairly awkward for the geniuses. They explained dozens of times that the experiment didn't go quite to plan, and the child fell unconscious before they could do anything, but not even with Thor's help could they get the team to understand. The super soldier was finding it especially difficult to fathom although he didn't press the matter when he saw Tony getting distressed.

As they ate their pasta dish, they began to discuss more heart warming topics. It had been a few weeks since something truly terrible happened to the city and they felt it was time to celebrate a bit. Bruce had bought expensive wine not long ago which seemed almost perfect for the occasion though no one really felt like drinking. The anxiety that Peter had yet to wake up seemed almost crushing.

"Do you think he's okay?"

"He's fine, Tash. We all need to relax a bit – if we smother him he's just going to feel worse," Clint said wisely. He did not talk much but, when he did, it was usually the right thing to do.

"Can't really blame her for worrying, can we? We're all pretty new to this parenting lark," Steve put in, "And it must be a little more difficult since, you know, he's an alien. Tony, when do you think he'll be able to talk properly?"

"Let me just get out my crystal ball and have a little check, shall I? How am I supposed to know? He'll learn the language at his own rate. Just let him take a few days to relax for now," the genius replied with sarcasm in his voice though the soldier knew he didn't mean it. It was the first day of their secrecy and he was probably just trying to keep things...believable.

Fury glanced up from his meal quickly. He could already guess their new relationship but he daren't say anything. It was neither his place nor his wish to tell the team something they did not have to know about. At least the men had finally realised their feelings for each other and he didn't have to watch their painfully obvious arguments anymore.

The rest of the dinner was pretty much banter. There were jabs at Bruce's love-life and jokes about Hawkeye's apparent 'whipped' personality, whilst still focusing on the main point that no one in the Tower seemed capable of holding down their ends of the housework. Steve wanted to point out he had been cleaning non-stop lately but he decided to leave it – he didn't want to be called the janitor from now on. There was enough for him to do without the chores adding to it.

When they were eating pudding, they heard soft scuffling outside the kitchen. The team turned their heads in a synchronised movement to see Peter walking in, rubbing his eyes with a balled up fist and clutching an old shirt Tony had left on the bed like a little blanket. He was asleep for over seven hours and felt the effects of a long nap.

"Hey buddy," Steve immediately greeted as he got up to get him, "How did you sleep?"

"Okay."

"Are you hungry? We've got some dinner left or some chocolate cake if you want."

"No...thank...you..."

"You'll never be able to sleep tonight, will you? What are we going to do with you little man?"

Peter was disinterested in the conversation. He was hungry but he didn't want to eat and he was thirsty but he didn't want to drink. He didn't know what he wanted; maybe he just wanted to be safe in the presence of the team?

"Put him in his highchair," Bruce advised, "He might get a bit more peckish if he's in there."

The super soldier strapped him in and took his place back at the table. They tried to engage in casual talk with him although the child was not in the mood, choosing to simply grunt whenever they asked him a question. Tony felt strangely upset at his strange attitude.

Thor cleared the half table he normally ate quickly and began to chat calmly to the boy. He didn't perk up though he replied more frequently to the God, which made Steve feel a bit put out. Fury and Clint rolled their eyes at each other as Natasha gushed over the child.

"I...feel...funny..." he muttered slowly. Steve put his hand against the boys' forehead.

"You're not hot, little guy. I'm sure it's just the nap."

The billionaire watched the child's actions carefully. He was shaking with cold even though he was perfectly warm in his soft blue pyjamas and his eyes were directed at the little white tray in front of him. What was wrong with him?

Fury sighed and pulled a big piece of chocolate cake towards him. He poured on large lashing of cream and a dollop of ice cream in addition to skittles and smarties, which made Peter cheer up slightly. He liked the sweet's pretty colours.

"Take a bite of that, Pete," he said in a calm yet firm voice, "You'll like it, I promise you."

The alien took a single, tentative bite of the luscious chocolate. Before the team knew it he was quickly chomping his way through it whilst their friend poured him a pint glass of apple juice. That was drunk so fast it was like the child was a juice-holic.

"How did you do that, Nick?!"

"I'm well-versed in human behaviour. While Peter is...not quite human, he's close enough to follow a child's pattern. Put something in front of him and, chances are, he'll want it sooner or later."

Tony whipped out a small notepad and wrote down the idea. He was attempting to become a better guardian although he often found himself longing for a wild party – just one more to get it out of his system. His old contacts asked him frequently when he would be throwing another one so they could meet lovely inhibited bachelorettes.

"Don't you think he should be eating something healthier?"

"Give it up Steve. I think if you gave him a bowl of pasta now, he'd throw it in your face and demand more cake," Bruce laughed. The super soldier nodded and smiled at his 'friend' over the table. The genius gave a tight-lipped smile back. He didn't know how to act normally around him anymore without the team becoming alert to their bond.

Thor decided to stay up with the child that night. When the team finally stopped babying him and left for their individual rooms (Tony gave the longest goodnight known to human kind) the Asgardian set about making a small fort with him. Peter sat inside the fort afterwards, staring up at him with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"What is wrong little spaceman?"

"We...are...different," he stammered. The God cocked his head to one side in confusion. "We...are...from...different...but...we...love...them."

"Do you mean we come from different worlds?"

"Yes."

Thor nodded calmly. He wanted to press the matter and find out what the point was for that revelation, but he didn't. The child's speech was difficult to understand sometimes and a detailed explanation just wasn't possible.

"We come from lands that these people do not know. We have probably both seen things that they will never see. It makes me fret that this earth will not grow to replicate our worlds, in time, however we must have faith they will. You and I both love them and these people, Peter. And one day they will understand they have just scraped the surface of what they are capable of."


	22. Ideas

Steve was the first to wake the next morning. When he trampled down the stairs and entered the kitchen he was met by a lovely sight – a beautifully cooked breakfast complete with a washed up Peter and a smiling Thor. They had managed to stay up the whole night, even taking some work off the super soldier by making a giant meal to feed the team.

He settled down beside the alien before saying to his friend, "Wow Thor, this actually looks pretty good. Why'd you make the breakfast this morning?"

"I thought it was a good idea for an Asgardian to take control, starting with the kitchen! Have you ever seen such a feast, my friend? Eat until your heart's content!" The first comment was a light-hearted joke although the leader was not quite sure. It was difficult to know whether something was serious or not with the God.

"Well it looks brilliant anyway. Did you help him little man?" Rogers softly cooed to the small child, who was happily chomping on steaming pancakes, "Did you help Thor make breakfast for everyone?"

Peter nodded playfully before pulling the man's hand. He wanted to go and play immediately, but the hero stroked his soft hair before putting some food on his plate. The child let go and watched the door closely; when would Tony be awake? When would he be able to play with him? He wasn't even tired, despite being awake for a long time. The God could not say the same as his eyes started to droop though he tried to keep himself alert with coffee. He drank enough to fill a reservoir.

Soon the rest of the team started to show their faces. The long line of bed-heads, sleepy faces and ruffled robes ended with Bruce, who seemed quite bright and chirpy regardless of the early hour. He took his place next to Tony, not even paying attention to the cuisine in front of him.

"You seem happy today Bruce," the billionaire said whilst feeding Peter, "Did you finally get laid in your dreams?"

"Very funny. No - do you remember when our little guest first spoke? I told you about it, how he mentioned something was gone in bed, didn't I?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I've finally figured out what he meant! It took me hours last night when I started thinking about it," he waved his arms in the air with exaggeration; "He must've meant that spacecraft he turned up in! It was his bed, don't you get it? I didn't see anything in there except for him but there must be a hidden compartment or something!"

For a moment the team were silent. A single, identical thought passed through them at the same time as they gazed at the small alien. He was too busy chomping past a mountain of pancakes drenched in syrup to look up although he could feel the eyes boring down into him. What were they discussing now? He was getting tired of constantly being the centre of attention.

"I think Bruce is right," Steve said, "It's really clever. Peter was trying to tell us his 'bed' was hiding something, maybe something important."

It seemed to be correct. The previously fickle message was simply like that because of language barriers rather than being highly complicated itself. Tony looked at the super soldier with a soft relief in his eyes, mixed with affection – he was glad that they had at least a theory now. Beforehand, there had been nothing to suggest what it could mean.

The rest of the meal went on pretty quietly. Conversations went on around the alien but he wasn't too interested in them; he wanted to go and search around the Tower. There were so many rooms he had not explored besides Tony's and the sitting room, so many things he would like to see outside the large glass windows.

"Tony, when are you going tonight?"

"For the meeting? Oh, around about eight. The dinner starts at eight thirty and, since it's an hour away, I think I'd be fashionably late. The clients aren't exactly brand new anyway," the billionaire said to his friend as he sampled the pancakes. They were too chewy but Thor tried his best so he pretended to enjoy them.

"How are you going to convince them to stay with Stark Industries? You told me that you couldn't care less if they kept their business ties with you or not," Bruce's input was an unwelcome reminder to the tycoon. He didn't want to do business with them because of their rather...precocious young daughter. She was only seventeen yet she had her eyes set on him and was going to stop at nothing until she made him uncomfortable in every restaurant in town. At least, that's what he thought.

"Flash a smile and lie through my teeth," Tony eventually replied whilst drinking some coffee. The God managed to make it taste better than usual – did he detect a hint of cinnamon in there? He felt like Charlie Harper from Two and a Half Men, just richer and with better looks.

"And how do you expect to stop the girl from irritating you?" Steve asked, slightly irritated. They spoke about this before though not when they were an item, and the subject had always rubbed him the wrong way. She seemed far too young to be chasing a forty year old man. Much less, the super soldier's forty year old man.

"I dunno. Maybe I'll-" Stark turned his head suddenly to Peter. The child had split some juice accidentally and started to mop with up with his expensive jacket but that wasn't the reason; an idea was igniting in his brain. If he could take the child, just this once, to a dinner and make out like he was his son, then that girl would probably lose interest. And even though the billionaire promised not to take him out again, he could make Steve come around with a vow of extra care.

He looked up at the soldier with a smile on his face. Rogers noticed the glint in his chocolate brown eyes and, with a great sigh, said loudly, "No."

The team around them started to laugh. It wasn't hard to guess whatever Stark was thinking or what he wanted to do, but what was hard was to deny him what he wanted. The billionaire raised his eyebrow over a steaming white mug of coffee.

He always loved a challenge.


	23. Comfort

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"No."

Tony fell back on his seat with a puppy dog expression. He was trying to get Steve's permission for taking Peter out to his meeting dinner although the super soldier was being as stubborn as a mule. He refused to let the child out after what happened last time – admittedly his 'friend' had the right idea. If the wrong person saw them, they could kiss the boy goodbye before they even knew anything had occurred.

The playboy did not give up though. Another dinner with his client's precocious daughter was the last thing he needed, and he was certain that Peter's presence would change things. It might even warn the girl off for life. What a blessing that would be!

Steve looked up from his paper to see Tony's piteous look. His bottom lip was sticking out and quivering almost convincingly, whilst his big chocolate brown eyes were widened to a saucer-like state. Just the sight of this face made him smile and coo at how cute the billionaire looked which made his features fall.

"Come on; just let me take him this once. He'll have a great time and I _promise_ that I'll feed him something healthy," he thought it sounded so tempting. Peter would be fed and he would be thoroughly tired when he got home, all ready for bed. What else could the super soldier ask for?

"Tony, I've told you no. I'm not letting you take him out again – you know what will happen. You'll get spotted by some reporter again, they'll take pictures and this time we might not be so lucky. They might actually get him on camera. Can you really tell me that you would risk that for one dinner?"

The genius glared at him. He was protective of the alien, and still found it difficult to leave him in the care of others, so he found it insulting when he was challenged over his care. The boy would probably enjoy coming with him more than he'd want to be cooped up in here all the time.

"One night, in a restaurant, just me and him and the clients. If you want I could reserve the whole place; expensive but worth it," Stark's offers were becoming more desperate. Steve started to wonder if he really just wanted the child to be in his sights and the whole 'protection' thing was a cover-up for his true feelings. It would make sense that his attachment caused him to feel bad about leaving the boy behind.

"No, don't do that," Rogers sighed before setting the black and white newsprint down and standing up, "That will make it more obvious. Don't take him; don't risk getting him caught out. Please don't destroy our family before it's even started."

The plea almost sounded urgent. For a moment the billionaire struggled to take it in as his 'friend' walked behind him. He felt his arms wrap around his shoulders and his face nuzzle into the crook of his neck.

"I won't be destroying anything. Just a quick, one hour dinner where I flash a few smiles, show off how cute Pete looks in a tux and get out of there as quickly as I can," Tony said with a soft voice. He was comfortable now, more relaxed with the super soldier nuzzled into his neck.

Steve seemed to think about it for a moment until he sighed, "Fine. But I want him home before ten thirty, and I swear to God if you let him get seen by anyone-"

The playboy stopped listening whilst his 'friend' started to threaten him. He was thinking of all the things he could teach Peter in one meeting, how many business strategies he could learn with just one client – the child was probably intelligent enough to remember it all. Something about passing on his knowledge and wisdom sent a certain satisfaction running down the tycoon's spine.

"Do you understand that Tony?" Steve's voice echoed back into his head, "Do I make myself clear?"

He shook his head once before replying, "Hm? Yeah! Of course I understand. Peter will be fine, I promise; he'll probably end up enjoying himself so much that he won't stop talking about it later on...trying to talk about it."

The language barrier was starting to make break down now. Everyone had noticed an increase in the alien's vocabulary and more flow in his actual speech but he at the start of a very long road. Tony did not like to admit it however he could not help and think about if they lost him. How many times would he have spoken? How many words would he know? Would they ever hear him say a coherent sentence? Even thinking about losing his beloved visitor was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

"Hey, what's up?" Steve asked when he noticed the tear, "What are you thinking about?"

He put a hand on Starks' broad shoulder, giving him a warm encouraging smile. The super soldier always felt upset when his 'friend' became saddened, especially when he didn't know what was wrong.

"Do you think we're ever going to lose him?"

Momentarily caught off guard, Steve hesitated before softly saying, "Maybe. I don't know what's going to happen with him in the future Tony, but all we can hope is that things fall into place. What makes you ask?"

"I don't want to lose him. He gives the team something – he makes them work better, almost. I haven't seen everyone gelling so well together since Coulson..."

They both flinched. Their deceased friend Phil was still a tender subject and not one they talked about much, so it felt odd that the billionaire brought it up now. It had been months since they last spoke about him.

"What I'm saying is, Peter makes everyone seem happier. I don't know, maybe it's just me. I don't want him to ever get taken from us."

Steve gave him a comforting, tight-lipped smile before pulling his head against his shoulder. There was nothing he wanted more than to tell the billionaire they could keep the child with no problem although he had been taught long ago that lying would never pay off. He would be smart enough to see through it anyway.

"It'll be okay, Tony. We'll make our way through it," he whispered gently, "We have to find a way for him."


	24. Dangerous Times

That night, the team sat around the kitchen table, waiting nervously. Tony was still upstairs in his room with Peter – he had promised they would be ready by now but no one had seen them for hours. How long did it take to dress one child? Or did the billionaire get distracted and start playing a videogame with him instead? Steve drummed his fingers on the table's sleek surface as time ticked by. He was tempted to go up and get them himself, but he knew that would not solve anything. It would only get his 'friend' cross with him and probably result in an argument.

"I still think you're insane," Bruce's voice broke the silence, "Letting Tony take him out. Last time we were lucky and Peter didn't have to pay for our carelessness. Today it could be a whole different story; you know that don't you?"

The super soldier nodded before taking a sip of water. He had pondered over these thoughts all day and, despite the quivering feeling in his gut, he trusted the tycoon to take good care with him. If he didn't think that the child would be safe, he would never let them to leave the house together.

"We have to remember that Tony's more involved with him than any of us. We may all care for him equally but the little guy trust's him more. Don't worry about it – I'm sure that when they get home we'll have our first peaceful night in weeks," the leader's speech was confident although Fury could hear the fear etching it. He was more terrified for the child's safety than he realised.

"Fine, I guess one night won't do any harm. He might even like it; all those colours and different food. He's quite an adventurous little kid, he'll probably eat tonnes," Bruce said as he tapped his feet on the floor. The scientist could imagine his little face lighting up when he looked upon the restaurant, filled with all sorts of people that were different shapes and sizes and stuffed with sweet smells of expertly cooked food. Maybe he would see something he found funny? Or taste something he wanted to eat every day? It was nice to think he would be having his own little adventure, even if it seemed so boring to the adults.

Finally they heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet. They held their breaths all at once whilst the steps became closer, and found themselves gasping when Peter entered the room. He looked so adorable.

In a specially tailored grey suit and wearing a small black tie Tony found, the child was definitely going to steal hearts. His big dark green eyes seem to almost sparkle with excitement as the team cooed at him and clapped their hands at the playboy for such a good job. He also looked smart in an identical figure hugging black suit complete with a sleek silk tie and polished black shoes. Steve smiled at him behind his glass.

"Be careful spaceman," Thor chuckled before picking him up for a hug, "The ladies you meet will probably pinch your cheeks until you are red all over!" It was a light-hearted comment though it bore two meanings. The second was a slight warning to his friend about keeping the child safely in his sights at every moment.

"I...am...happy..." Peter stammered whilst nuzzling into the God's neck, "I...am...going...restaurant."

Tony flashed a smile back at his 'friend' as he stroked the child's hair. He would never admit it but he was looking forward to the evening and lying that the boy was his son, although he was not keeping the secret very well. Even the precocious daughter left his mind when he gazed upon the team and the alien.

"Well, it took me a few hours and a lot of retries, but I think he's finally ready to eat a big fancy place. Not really Shwarma though." The Avengers chuckled slightly in reply though they kept their eyes trained on Peter. Thor put him in his highchair whilst Bruce readied a soft-toothed comb and started to tame his messy, fluffy mane into a presentable style. The child squealed in protest playfully even though he loved his hair being brushed.

"Please please please don't do anything stupid tonight Tony," Natasha pleaded desperately, "Don't do anything that isn't crucial. Just get in, make small talk, convince them to stay with the company and get out."

The playboy nodded as he leant against the marble countertops and bit into a shiny red apple, "Sounds like my last dinner with Pepper."

Steve glanced up at him in irritation. It was good to mask their relationship with talks of his ex-girlfriend but that did not stop the super soldier getting a bit annoyed at her mention. He liked the red-headed lady; however he did not like her previous affiliation with Tony and would rather forget she ever had one.

"Well concentrate on what is important tonight," the leader said when they started moving out of the kitchen in one massive block, "Peter is not going to be toyed with, do we understand?"

"Yes, yes, we understand perfectly Steve. Did you get the car-seat I asked for Bruce?" The scientist handed his friend the brand new blue seat with a smile on his face as they moved towards the garage, "Thanks. Hopefully this won't be too uncomfortable for him."

"It shouldn't be, it was extremely expensive. Don't worry though – I charged it all to your card."

Stark rolled his eyes although he didn't particularly care. The extra expense was hardly going to bankrupt him, and he saw it as a good investment if it helped Peter.

It was a team effort to strap it in the car. The child watched from the abandoned time-machine that Tony tried to build in his youth and giggled whilst the men struggled. They fought giant monsters and built high-tech machinery in their spare time, but a German car-seat was baffling them to the point of reading the instructions. When they finally got it down, the billionaire strapped in Peter and the team said their goodbyes. Steve hung behind as they disappeared into the Tower, making excuses to be longer than everyone else.

When they were finally gone, he gave Stark a small peck on the head and flashed him a heart-warming smile. The child kicked his legs with impatience.

"Have a safe trip. I'll see you both when you get back," he whispered before giving Peter an identical kiss.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"I do worry, Tony. This is our so—this is the team's alien that we're talking about. Don't screw this up," the pair parted after their conversation. Rogers could not believe he almost slipped the 'son' word but his 'friend' did not seem to mind it.

"Bye!" The super soldier watched with a small smile as the luxury vehicle pulled out from the garage. It drove away at a fast speed into the black night and, though he was facing the unknown, Peter was giggling away in the front seat like a madman when Steve saw his little face whizzing past.

If only he had seen the surveillance car as well.


	25. Hurts I can Fix

Tony felt his heart pounding as he pulled up outside the restaurant. People of his social status milled about outside, not even paying attention to his expensive vehicle, whilst the valet flooded around it like a swarm. Was he doing the right thing? How could he be sure things would go to plan? He was thinking about turning around and driving back home but one baby-faced young man opened his door with a big smile stretched on his lips. He had gold lettering on his red silk vest saying; _Grandi Disegni, _and a hopeful attitude about him – he wanted to make a good impression in the chance that he might get a large tip.

Peter was taken out of the car by a very buxom lady in an identical vest. She cooed at him as she removed him from the car-seat and complimented him on his suit, but the child sat rigidly in her arms until his hero took him away. She had an odd scent about her, something like lavender mixed with old mothballs, and it made the alien scrunch his nose up in distaste.

"It's an honour to meet you sir," the lady gasped slightly when she noticed who it was. This was her first time meeting such a well-known business tycoon, much less one who had indirectly saved her life numerous times, and she cursed herself slightly for not making much of an effort. She had done the bare minimum that night to make herself look presentable.

"Yeah, um, thanks. Listen, do me a favour? Keep any press or reporters out; my little boy here is on a strict need-to-know basis," Stark replied before hugging the child to his shoulder. Peter nuzzled into his body in an effort to stay warm – it was cold out here and he did not like the unusual chill in the breeze.

"This is your son? Certainly sir. Our fine restaurant provides all guests, famous or not, the utmost privacy," her voice was soft like cotton which made the alien lift his head. He gave her an awkward smile, wanting to pay her a compliment, although his language barrier refused to allow him.

"Pretty...sound..." He choked out eventually as their vehicle was pulled into the car park, "You...make...pretty...sound..."

Tony looked at him with affection dancing in his eyes. The lady ushered them into the red-painted building where Peter was met with a thousand sounds and smells all at once. Scents of food and costly perfumes clashed together like a fierce battle in an effort to reign supreme whilst soft music played harmoniously overhead. Harps and violins were heard over the quiet conversations however the child could only concentrate on the low lighting. A snow-coloured candle was placed at every white and gold clothed table, flickering away as the multitude of customers ate their meals quietly. What was the point when giant crystal chandeliers hung over them? It seemed like a waste of time to him.

The vast number of people frightened the boy. They turned to face the pair with wide eyes and shocked stares, which caused him to cling around Tony's neck and attempt to hide his face in the man's suit. Too many eyes were staring at him; he could feel their gazes even after he could no longer see them.

"What's up Pete?" The billionaire whispered as they were taken to their table, "Are you okay? Come on bucko, look up for me."

The small boy cautiously raised his eyes. The soft fabric of Starks' outfit brushed against his face when he moved his head slowly, and he smiled when he saw the people had stopped staring. They all looked so different – different shapes and sizes, short, fat, tall, skinny, and wearing varying frocks wherever he looked. Jewels seemed to pour from the lady friends of rich men whilst the male companions of wealthy women were drenched in cologne and expensive shirts. He found himself lost in the colourful madness although others might have seen it as a normal, expensive eatery. Tony set the child down in a comfortable wooden chair at a large table, covered in a special green cloth.

"Do you like it here then Pete?" The playboy asked when they settled down. His little friend nodded before gazing at the two empty seats in front of them. It seems they weren't the only ones late.

"Home..."

"We can't go home yet. Not until I've convinced these people to stay with my company. Have I ever told you about that?"

"No."

"I have a very big company. It makes a lot of money making some of everything, though these days I really just seem to supply the military with things they don't understand. Fury convinced me too but I think I'll be stopping that production when I can – hopefully he'll understand the position I'm in. I mean, my own father-"

Peter looked up when he noticed Tony's voice trailing. A thoughtful look descended on his face, one that told the alien he did not talk about his father a lot, and caused him to cock his head to one side in confusion. After a moment of quiet thought the billionaire realised and gave his little friend an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Pete; I didn't mean to trail off like that," he said whilst rubbing his eyes with a napkin. The child sat upright before giving him an equally thoughtful look.

"You...hurt...here..." The alien said whilst touching his small chest, "You...hurt...here...now. Why?"

Tony smiled and answered, "Everyone hurts there now and then." Peter touched the man's broad chest with concentration etched on his delicate features.

"You...hurt...now...but...many...love. Big...reac-torn...chest...but...doesn't...change..." He said in such a struggle the tycoon thought his head would blow off. He couldn't help a flinch at the mention of his reactor although the way the child said it made him smile.

"It's to keep me from dying. It's very difficult to live with sometimes. People see you differently," he explained.

"Doesn't...change...you. Many...love...To-knee."

"Really Pete? Do you know some people that love me? Lots of people say they do, but they just want something from me. Can you tell me who loves me for me?" It was a question Tony often asked himself; when he lay awake in bed at night. He acted like he didn't care however he did – he just wanted to feel worth something to people and not just a talking wallet.

"Me."

The child's reply was blunt, short, but in that second the billionaire's world seemed to shift. He gazed down at the boy's honest caring face, lined with both confusion and certainty in an odd balance, and found himself suddenly smiling like a maniac. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his ribcage and fill the whole restaurant.

Peter touched the man's chest, tracing the reactor in curiousity before he said, "I love you too Pete."

"This...makes...different. Not...bad...different. Strong...man...lives...on."

The billionaire was about to reply although his voice was choked with intense emotion and he could feel tears threatening. He did not scold himself this time; instead he let himself feel the sentiments run through his body. He opened his mouth to reply, and another voice suddenly cut him off.

"Sorry we're late. Clarissa spent an hour putting her make up on."

Stark turned in frustration to see the pot-bellied old client he was supposed to be eating with. Last time he had seen him, his bald shining head had been covered by thinning hair and his trousers were not hidden by his hanging gut. It seemed that the luxurious lifestyle he led was having very negative effects on his appearance.

His daughter stood behind him plastered in orange foundation and looking rather startled at the sight of Peter. Or maybe that was just her makeup? It was hard to tell when young women seemed to almost slam themselves in their cosmetics bag.

Tony nodded with a forced smile on his face. They took their seats across from them and started to read the embroidered menus, though Clarissa just glared behind hers at the small child. He innocently stared back at her, smiling his adorable smile as he played with the silver cutlery in front of him.

The billionaire sighed quietly. The more enjoyable conversation with Peter would have to wait for now.


	26. Listen to Me

Dinner conversation was dry that night. Tony found himself so bored that he resorted to texting Steve under the table, which was a nightmare itself, and Peter focused on the world going on around him. People came and went whilst the man kept going on about his recent trip to Spain – anyone would have thought he found oil rather than a simple holiday abroad.

"The women there are magnificent, Anthony. You would enjoy it; all those ladies wearing barely anything, fluttering about like they're supermodels! I would mind it, if they didn't! Beautiful beasts," the balding businessman sighed before gobbling down more of his steak dinner. Gravy dribbled slightly down his chin as he grabbed a gold-lined napkin to wipe it away. The alien moved backwards with discomfort.

"Yes, I know. I've been to Spain; it has lovely women and excellent drinks. But I would rather talk about the matter at hand, wouldn't you? I've heard that you are thinking about leaving Stark Industries," Tony said whilst taking a sip of his brandy. Clarissa's slightly orange face glared at Peter, who was now watching his adult carefully, and whispered under her breath that she wanted him to disappear. How could anyone expect her to get the billionaire when he came with a child?

A fresh smell of roast chicken wafted in the air. The boy looked up to see a freshly prepared poultry dish, held by an immaculately dressed waiter as he swayed through the rows of people. This world was so strange to him but he loved the new sights and smells he saw every day, and he decided to himself that he liked chicken when he saw the plump bird sitting on a gravy-soaked plate.

Tony raised his hand towards Peter, stroking his soft hair gently as the client went off on yet another story. He sighed to himself – how hard was it to make a business proposition? And he was not getting much entertainment from his 'friend'. Steve had replied to him about a half hour after his first text with so many misspellings, it was more like decoding a safe lock rather than reading a message.

"Dad, I don't think you should be boring him with dumb stories," the makeup-caked teenager growled behind her salad, "Maybe you should just talk about the stupid bloody business so we can talk about more important things!"

She simply wanted to make the man uncomfortable. In her mind, she had a clear shot at making him hers, although in reality she was as delusional as any other of his admirers. A teenage girl had no chance at catching the forty year old superhero, even before he found his feelings for Rogers and it irritated him when she attempted to. How many hints could he drop without hurting her feelings? With that thick skull of hers, probably enough to sink a battleship.

Peter found his mind wandering again. Decadent people were still chatting away around them though they would occasionally glance at the small child, and maybe even wave at him when they noticed him staring. Many conversations turned to the Ironman legend being accompanied by a young child; however no one touched upon the idea it could be his son. Most of them thought he was a new attempt at life for the billionaire.

He turned his gaze towards the back of the room. Eyes raking through the colourful crowd, he spotted two men sat behind oversized menus with their eyes directed straight at the child. They wore sleek black suits, not unlike Tony's, and giant grey ear pieces...but the boy got a bad feeling from them. He started to get agitated when they whispered to each other and pulled out stylish expensive phones, calling someone whilst still staring. What could they be doing? Why were they watching him? Peter could only wonder as he turned his head and tried to warn his current carer.

"To-knee..." He stammered, "To-knee! Look...there..." Stark smiled at the child before planting a small peck on his head and telling him to be patient. The child persisted however which caused the billionaire to give him a stern look.

"Not right now Pete," he said with a low voice, "I'm just trying to make a deal and then we can go home. Eat your food now, or you'll make a scene."

The child's portion of beef did not tempt him anymore. Previously he had been picking at it, sampling its juicy reddish meat and enjoying the rough texture that came with it, but now he could not stop thinking about the men behind him. Even when the client began to go on about another story in his funny, slightly gruff voice the boy could find no solace. There was something going on.

Something that set him on edge.

The rest of the meal dragged by slowly. Peter pushed away any more food he was given, causing Tony to get slightly upset with him and scold him gently, although he had a perfectly good reason. The loss of appetite came with a feeling of profound fear – fear that was birthed from anxiety. It seemed as if the suited men disappeared when he last looked, vanished somewhere in the crowd of diners, and he found that his nerves were more on edge with their absence.

Eventually the tycoon decided to use the change of mood to his own advantage. He gathered up the child with a small frown of concern on his face as he said to his clients, "I'm sorry about his attitude. He's usually quite chatty; I think there's something wrong with him tonight. Do you mind if I reschedule this for a later date?"

A mist of irritation descended over his guests. Clarissa was upset for different reasons of course, though she knew that she could probably catch him without Peter on another day. She winked at him discreetly whilst he cradled the child to his chest. He replied with a tight-lipped frown.

"Yes, of course," he sighed, putting down his fork, "I suppose we could arrange another dinner. When are you free again? I'm taking a trip to Greece soon, so it'll have to be sometime before next December."

Hardly soon but Tony did not want to argue. He considered the notion a blessing, that he could prepare himself for another meeting with intense mediation and maybe a few flash cards about the company. Pepper would probably have to help him with that.

"Okay, that's fine," he turned and slipped a hundred dollars into the waiter's vest behind him, before whispering, "Sorry about unleashing this Hell on you."

He wandered past the throngs of people as Peter clutched around his neck. Drowsiness was clawing through his body now, due to his stomach being full and warmth hugging his body tightly, and he struggled to stay awake on the man's comfortable chest. The reactor slightly pressed against his own but he didn't care – the machine made him feel strangely closer to his carer.

"You changed mood's quickly Pete," Stark mentioned when they walked into the cold air. He gasped slightly, surprised at the freezing temperature, before turning to walk to the car-park. No point in paying for valet; it would only take up more time than was needed. They both wanted to be home.

"Men...watching..." the child replied whilst his eyes began to droop. His down-like hair stroked Tony's cheek as the alien rested his cheek against his shoulder, tickling him gently and making him smile. There was very little he could be happy about, aside from his money and success, and the child seemed to add to the meagre amount. He appreciated that.

"Men? What do you mean?"

"Men...suits..."

A soft snore followed. Peter's body became limp on the billionaire's shoulder. He smiled before wrapping his arms tightly around him and whispering soft lullabies into his ear.

"Sleep well bucko," he muttered, "I hope that you—ARGH!"

Tony found himself suddenly blinded by a punch. Pain exploded down the left side of his face and he fell backwards, almost dropping the child, as a loud scream of surprise escaped his slightly parted lips. What could have attacked him? When he attempted to look he found himself punched again; this time hitting his stomach to force the breath out of his lungs. Peter was snatched out of his arms whilst he tried to defend himself.

"Hey! Give him-" Another strike knocked him to the floor before a shoe found his face. The black leather landed on his nose, almost with enough force to break it, and his head flung back with a mixture of pain and shock. Images of his friends, family and acquaintances flashed through his mind as the agony ripped through his body.

"Thank you for keeping the alien safe, Mr. Stark," a rough, hardened voice growled at him, "The facility will be happy to know what you have discovered about him. I suppose you want some compensation for your work?"

Tony raised his head to try to catch a glimpse, to peer at whoever assaulted him so violently. If he weren't in a state of shock he could have focused on the blurred face in front of him, glaring down with a sense of smug satisfaction draped around his character, like he enjoyed watching a powerful man pour with blood. Another blob was moving away from them, probably carrying the child he cared for so much, and he let out a slight whimper of protest when he realised what was happening.

Peter was being snatched away again. The facility had found them. It was all over.

"Night night, rich-boy," the next blow rendered the playboy unconscious. The last thing he heard was Peter's soft scream being carried away by the wind.


	27. Waking up to Ash and Dust

Tony's eyes began to slowly creek open. All around him there was a blinding light, so strong it almost made him want to sleep again, and he could hear voices whispering. He touched his face with a great struggle – he felt sore. It was like he had just gone seven rounds with Mike Tyson.

"You're awake," the billionaire's eyes focused on a figure in front of him. The greyish colours faded away as his muscles tensed although it was simply Bruce staring down at him. In his hands, he balanced a stiff brown clipboard that was lined with dozens of equations and diagrams of the human brain. For a moment Stark didn't understand; it took him a fair few seconds to remember how he became unconscious.

"Peter...where's Peter?" His voice was choked with fear and raw emotion. Too much time had passed for him, they were simply wasting precious seconds now. His friend looked down at him with sadness dancing in his big eyes. How was he going to break it to him? The room was completely silent as his mind worked on the answer.

"Tony..."

Before he could say anything, a loud crash sounded behind him. He span around to see Steve and Thor standing behind the now broken door with worried eyes, looking as if they had been awake for hours. The leader ran forward like a bullet on speed.

"You're awake! You're awake! Do you know how much you bloody scared us?!" He shouted. Bruce flinched – there would be time to yell at Tony later. Doing it now just meant they couldn't tell him the awful news and let him mourn.

"Shut up Steve!" The playboy spat before dragging himself up. God knows how long he had been lying on that metal table, but he was glad that he was finally able to leave it. His back would probably make him pay later. "Where is Peter? Why isn't he here?! Damn it Bruce, just tell me!"

Desperation began building in his intense eyes. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't be; he couldn't have lost the child in a car-park. The facility could not have taken him...

"I'm sorry Tony," he whimpered, "When we were called, they said you were by yourself. They mentioned him, they mentioned that he had been with you...but they didn't know where he went. He's gone."

Instantly the feeling of loss fell upon the room. Each of the men found themselves at a loss for words as this emotion grew stronger, however none so much as Stark. A part of his heart seemed to almost break away when he finally registered the news. It really had happened. It wasn't just some awful dream; his beloved little alien was gone.

The American hero attempted to comfort him although he found he was immediately cut short by a loud sob. There was probably nothing anyone could say or do to console him, save conjuring the child back up, but his 'friend' felt like he should at least give it a go. If only the billionaire would let himself be comforted.

"Okay. I guess that's it then." He staggered off the table and started to walk through the pristine white room. The three men followed him with their eyes, almost in disbelief at their friend's sudden acceptance of the situation.

"Are you okay, Anthony? Surely you feel saddened at the very least? You cared for the child as if he were your own son-" Thor's mouth was clapped over by Bruce's hand, but it was too late. The playboy had heard him. A single tear ran down Stark's cheek when he thought of Peter's innocence, about how much he loved to wake up to his alien visitor.

"What's the point in being sad? He's gone," he answered, trying to hide the sadness in his voice, "He's gone and I'm never going to see him again. Chances are he's already on a fast track back to space...so what's the point in even thinking about him? Just leave me alone guys; I want to be alone."

They could do nothing except watch the billionaire exit out the recovery room's door. Steve felt himself grow even sadder when he realised how upset his new love was – that coupled with the anger he felt at Peter's lost made him feel torn between the two emotions. Why couldn't life just be simple? Why couldn't it be straightforward? There was nothing the superhero wanted more than to please his 'friend' with the child they both cared for so much.

Bruce started to look at the brain diagrams. They were not for his teammate; they were previous sketches he made after their telekinetic experiment and he was so desperate to show them to someone, although it seemed more like a hollow victory now. The scientist managed to successfully pinpoint the differences between Peter's brain chemistry and their own. If the child was in the Tower now, sleeping in Tony's room like usual, maybe his diagrams would make much better reading. Even though he felt completely selfish for thinking that. He missed the child greatly and often found himself crying in his room since they found out about his kidnap, exactly three days ago.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?"

"Are you being funny Bruce? Did you not see how much Tony loved him? He's never going to get over this; he'll probably have a hundred wild parties just to feel a little better about himself," Rogers growled. Thor shook his head.

"Please, parties? We all know that he will find his solace within a thousand women's arms!" The God said without noticing Steve's flinch, "We cannot simply let our friend spiral out of control. I propose that we go and clash with these facility men head on, let none of them think that we are letting them take the child. Maybe we would win him back?"

His leader's reply was harsher than intended, "No, Thor. Leave the ideas to people with enough brain power. They'll kill Peter if we did that – do you want his blood on your hands?! Exactly."

Bruce and the Asgardian sat there, stunned for a moment as they registered what their friend had said. Usually he was more than happy to defend his member's intelligence and shield him from the insults, but now he was openly calling him stupid. It hurt quite a lot, although he assumed it was because of Peter's absence.

There were no words to express their surprise. Before they could even stammer, the leader stomped out of the room and shouted in frustration down the hallway.

How would they see themselves through this?


	28. Message's from Above

The team were getting worried for Tony. He spent days in his room without food and only a small supply of water, refusing to talk to anyone. If his friends dared come into his room, he would scream at them whilst poring over a picture of Peter on his phone – the only keepsake he had of the young boy. The beautiful Tower seemed to become cold with anger, bitterness and depression as the billionaire started to lose himself in despair.

One night he lay back in his bed after shedding some tears. Great white mountains of tissues built up on his bedside table over time which made his room look untidy, though he lacked the motivation to clean it up. Only the childish drawings Peter made were enough to keep him going as they clung desperately to the wall above his black and white glass desk.

Slowly the room began to fade around him. A silvery glow fell across the chamber like a mysterious shroud; it highlighted even the darkest corners of his quarters as if telling him something. Something that mattered.

_Peter would have loved this; _he thought with sadness, _he would have loved the way it looks right now. I wonder if he can see the moon where he is right now? They couldn't have taken him back to that facility. They've probably got him under lockdown. Damn it Pete, I miss you so much._

Memories started to play in his head. It was like a home video, with the team chuckling away over their breakfasts and the little boy enjoying the sound of laughter. Tony sat in the corner sporting his sleepy eyes and messy bed-hair whilst Thor tickled Peter's chin with one finger. Bruce was clapping as if he were some sort of seal, looking at Steve who was busy trying to read the newspaper with the racket going on. Although he could see his face. Decorated with a giant smile, he seemed to be trying his best not to laugh rather than genuinely disapproving of the noise. Could they ever have that again? With some other child maybe? Would it ever feel the same if they had a real human infant, instead of the little visitor? He hoped even though he knew it wouldn't. There was no room in his heart for any child except his Peter.

The thoughts in his head continued to play when the world began to fade around him. His eyes started to droop a little bit, threatening to let him fall into the darkness of sleep, which he had been deprived of during the past few days. The point of rest escaped him now that he didn't have a reason to get up anymore. Not even Steve could coax him out of his room for more than five minutes.

"Night night Pete," he said out loud, "Sweet dreams."

Instantly he found himself lost in a world of memories. He entered the kitchen of the Tower to see his friends all sitting around the table and eating their breakfasts – the table was topped up with so much food that it could feed a small army. Giant servings of pancakes, bacon and eggs sat on big silver platters and a massive bowl of fresh fruit seemed to be the centrepiece of this fine banquet. Steve must have woken up early in order to make it all. Tony had to remember to thank him for all the support, when he was up to it.

Although the memory seemed immaculate, the billionaire saw the faults with it. His teammates seemed to move robotically, almost unnaturally, and Peter's down-like locks curled at the tip like some animal in agony. His dark green eyes sparkled a blue colour whilst his curious attitude receded to a shy one. What was going on with his precious little alien?

"Pete?" Stark asked, fear etching his voice, "Pete? Are you okay? What's up?"

Everyone around him froze in mid-action. Thor and Bruce were both stuck in a laughing pose, with Steve trying to pour himself some orange juice and Fury chomping on a big plate of toast. The billionaire stared around at them all but they did not even flinch at his curious gaze. Instead, they started to burn away.

The fruit withered away before turning to dust as the scene around him crumbled away. His friends turned to ash all around him, like they were paper being held on top of a candle flame, whilst the rest of the place melted away until only he and Peter remained. The child stood still for a moment.

"What's going on?" The playboy turned to him, "Pete, come on. This isn't funny. Are you okay? What's happening around here?"

There was still no answer. It got to the point where Tony fell beside the child on the blackened scenery and started to shake him in frustration.

"Peter! Come on bucko, talk to me! What's going on? Have I upset you? Is this because I couldn't save you? Don't punish me like this – I tried my best! I couldn't see them! I couldn't see them until it was too late! Don't you know how much I miss you? Don't you know how much I love you?!"

The words acted like some sort of activation code. The imaginary alien turned to his carer, looking him dead in the eye and giving him the familiar innocent smile. Stark instantly felt his mind ease when he saw this.

"Gone...now...in...bed..." the child stuttered, "Gone...now...in...bed."

"I don't understand what you mean. Tell me where your bed is, what is in your bed? Is it that silver pod? The facility has that, Pete! You're with them now, remember? You've got to tell me where you are before I can do anything."

The alien reached out towards Tony. Without hesitation, they locked hands, and the billionaire found himself interjected into a pure white world he had never seen before. The varying brightness almost hurt his eyes although Peter seemed to be completely comfortable.

"You can understand my son's language right now, To-knee," the child said in a deep voice, "I do not have long. We both know where my offspring resides, and you must do everything you can to save him. Please, I implore you – don't let my son disappear."

For a moment, the tycoon felt confused. He saw his beloved alien's face but he heard a voice that did not belong to him, yet in a strange sense one he seemed to know.

"Who are you?! Where has Peter gone?!"

"You need to find him! You need to save him! Don't let my death be in vain! Save him! Save him! Do not let his father meet him in a world he does not need to know yet!"

The screaming voice began to fill Tony's mind before he felt a headache coming on. He clutched his skull in agony until, finally, the man found himself jumping up in his bed and breathing out.

His room was completely cloaked in the silvery glow now. He looked down to his covered legs to see the childish drawings had floated down to him; they were arranged into a special order that spelled out the word, 'Flight.'

Had Peter sent him this message? Was it the mysterious father that begged for his son's safe return? Was Tony simply going mad? He barely had any time to think about it when he burst out of his room (still in his boxers) and rushed downstairs to the team. They were just packing up for the night but the surprise arrival made them drop what they were doing.

"Tony!" Bruce gasped, "Good to see you. I wish I didn't have to see so much of you so late at night...I guess its good you're finally out of bed."

Steve's eyes softened for a second as he gazed at the billionaire though they quickly grew baffled. He was hopping around like a headless chicken! What could possibly have made him this way?

"We need to talk guys. It's about Peter."

"No, you can't put yourself through this. You need to-"

"Steve, you need to listen to me! Don't you care at all! This is our _son_!"

Suddenly the room around them seemed to fall silent. All eyes turned to the two men staring at each other – they could scarcely believe what they had just heard. Rogers' eyes grew large, realising what his beloved lover had just revealed, although no one would comment on it right now. Not when the tycoon was already so wound up with thoughts of their missing alien. He dropped his fork and sighed, "Go on then, Tony. What is it?"

"I think I know where he is."


	29. Pain to Remember

Peter slowly opened his eyes to a metallic grey room. In front of him stood the familiar glass prison he first woke up to, when he arrived to this mysterious world, and he could see the white-coated scientists wandering around just outside it. Something seemed different this time though; the room was smaller and the clear cage was attached to thousands of mini spiralling wires that were focused on the very top. The child gazed at them with wonder dancing in his curious eyes – where was he now? All he could remember was falling asleep in a strange car...right after he saw his beloved Tony attacked by the 'Suited Men'.

"No...No..." He protested quietly, "I...do...not...belong..."

A scientist turned around from one beeping machine. Most of his face was covered by a dust mask and he was wearing a strange white outfit, one that the boy had never seen before. He looked down to see his own suit still equipped although slightly ruffled and ripped now. The scuffle must have been more violent than he previously remembered.

"Good morning, subject P," the masked man said, "Finally, you're awake. I was thinking of spraying you with water if you spent much more time asleep. Can't have you like that when we begin the tests now, can we?"

Peter's eyes narrowed. He didn't like him. His movements were too intimidating and his words too condescending; nothing like the Avenger's kindness towards him. The team were probably going mad with his loss and he could not help but feel he was partly responsible for those emotions. Maybe if he had never come to this world...

"You...are...bad."

"No, not bad, alien. We're caring for our own people – yours are all dead aren't they? We can tell that no one is out there waiting for you, so why condemn you to a life of loneliness? Don't worry little alien. It'll all be over, soon enough."

The man moved up to the glass. His eyes were peering closely at the specimen, as if he were decoding the secrets locked away in his mind, though he believed that the answers were hidden away too tightly. It would take an experiment that would kill the child to find them out.

And they did not want to do that. Not until they had successfully extracted out every ounce of power that the subject held. The death could always be staved off; it wasn't like anyone was coming for the creature. The scientist moved back to the beeping machine and started to calibrate it, ready for any tests his superiors might want conducted as he was eager to prove himself. What better way to do that then forcing the child through something excruciatingly painful?

"To-knee...will...find," the soft-faced boy cried, "To-knee...will...miss. He...come...kick...your-"

"Oh shut up. There are thousands of things I would rather listen to than your pathetic mewling, creature. Just sit there and wait – there won't be much time in the future." The man's smirk was enough to make Peter cry. There was no love there, nor was there any sympathy, and he could feel the end travelling towards him at break-neck speed. He wanted to see his beloved carer again or one of the team members before he died although he knew that was impossible. The final stages of his life were going to be lonely.

Hours passed with silence. Workers came and went, occasionally stopping the gawk at the trapped toddler like he was some sort of circus bear. Their clipboards were covered with thousands of symbols the boy though he recognised though only from Tony's back in the Tower – would he ever see him again? The thought of the billionaire's pain was enough to make thick tears fall down Peter's red cheeks. As he rubbed the clear droplets away he heard another researcher make a snide comment at him.

"All these tears. You better come from a water planet or something, otherwise you're just wasting your own energy. No one cares that you're here now. Not your people, not us, and definitely not Mr. Stark," the lady's voice was sweet like honey despite her harsh words. For a moment the child felt himself comforted until he registered what she had said, which caused him to cry even more.

Maybe she was right. Maybe Tony didn't care that he was there again, and he was getting on with his life perfectly well. Maybe Steve was in the kitchen right now making another dinner, laughing at how they did not have to feed the boy anymore whilst the others chuckled over his absence. There was no evidence to tell him otherwise since he was sitting in that prison again.

He looked up to see the lady touching one of the machines. Instantly, a bolt of agony ran through his little body like a lightning strike. So intense was this pain that he fell down to the floor squealing in his high pitched little voice and begging for relief. The language barrier grew worse when he was in pain.

"There aren't any readings coming up for his telekinetic skills. How the Hell do you expect me to work with this, Cindy?" A passing man said with another brown clipboard, "If I don't get readings in the next twenty seconds, you're fired. Increase the damn power if you have to."

The lady was also eager to prove her worth so, without even a second thought, she increased the power and the glass jar started to rattle. The wires atop them sparked with so much electricity that they could have blown at any second whilst the prison itself started to fill with lightning-imitating strikes and sparks. Peter screeched in excruciating agony; what manners of Hell did they want to put him through? What did he do that was so awful to their planet? Could the team save him from this torture? He did not know the answer, simply the pain that came with not knowing.

The child felt his eyelids drooping soon enough. The pain started to numb to a dull ache as he felt the life sapping out of his bones. The woman narrowed her eyes, shutting off the machine and jotting down something on her table. She seemed irritated somehow, as if the toddler's pain was completely in vain and she had not received the records she wanted. He felt like he should apologise to her although there was no time – she was gone when he slowly raised his head to speak.

"Save...me..." He whispered whilst the world around him dimmed. He could see a blurry figure, probably just a hallucination projected by his own mind, but it was the only thing he could focus on right now.

Slowly the image became more and more clear. Its features started to refine into an actual face as the familiar black hair started to materialise on top. Peter managed to smile slightly.

"Save...me...To-knee. Please," he whispered to the apparition. It smiled at him before putting a sweet kiss on his forehead. "I...miss...you."

"Just wait there Pete," Tony's voice rang in his head, "I'm coming to get you."


	30. Across Strange Tides

Tony spent days researching the facility. Well, more like looking for any note of its existence. He could not find one scrap of evidence it was ever operational, or even that the building was ever constructed. Whatever the facility was it had managed to completely erase itself from all major databases. He would sit up, night after night and hope that he would find just a small clue that his theory was right – that the new containment area for Peter was somehow mobile and that's how the facility was eluding them. So focused was he on this work that he sometimes forgot to eat the food Steve left him every day, which caused the whole team to become even more worried about his mental state.

How could they convince him to relax? They were also terrified for the boy's life, and tried to help Tony to the best of their abilities, but whenever they came up short of answers the tycoon seemed somehow infuriated. It was as if he saw them as incompetent in this matter although that was far from the truth; he was simply beating himself up over losing his precious alien and would stop at nothing to get him back. Steve found himself growing fearful for his beloved's mind however anything he said was brushed away by the team, who did not want to face the inevitable.

If Tony kept going like this, he would work himself to death.

One night, they settled down uneasily to dinner and tried to start up a conversation. Most topics were drier than the turkey Rogers prepared – since Peter had been taken the meals seemed more unfulfilling. The super soldier did not have the energy to cook until they had hard evidence of the child's whereabouts.

"No Tony tonight then?" Bruce asked quietly whilst picking at his white meat. He pulled a grimace before sipping on the expensive red wine and looking at his friends around the table.

"No, I don't think so," Steve answered, "He'll probably eat something later in the lab. I'll make sure JARVIS reminds him."

Again they remembered a horrible truth. No one had the nerve to go up to Stark anymore and simply talk to him, seeing as every time they did they were either chewed out or stared at until they left. They sighed in unison as they peered at the blue highchair set up nicely in the corner.

Steve did not have the strength to take it down. Physically he was immaculate but, emotionally, something made him feel weak whenever he was trying to clear the Tower of Peter's memory. The American hero could not even walk into the toddler's old room without finding himself...lost. How would they ever move on from him if they couldn't find him? How many nights would they spend mourning his disappearance? Would the team be able to cope with this failure? Too many questions circled in his mind whenever he was in the pitifully bare bedchamber.

"What are we going to do about this, my friends?" Thor suddenly asked. They turned to him with confused faces. "We cannot allow Anthony to be consumed by his guilt, and there is very little chance we will find the spaceman again. I do not like to face the truth as much as any of you but it is time we discussed these matters."

Bruce sighed as he put down his shiny silver fork. His own conscience had been plagued by anger and guilt since the child was taken although they all knew the billionaire was taking it the hardest. He did not want to think that they might never see him again.

"Don't talk like that, Thor," Steve cut in before anyone could reply, "We will get Pete back. I know we will. Situations like these are sent to test us here – are we going to let this beat us?!"

The team sat back in their chairs. Their leader's voice was becoming more high pitched and desperate when he spoke, especially about the child, although it had never been as noticeable as this. The scientist assumed it was because Tony identified Peter as their son though he, himself often felt this way.

"I am merely suggesting that we think about a course of action, just in case the search does not succeed. It is our duty to keep the peace; how can we do that when we are in turmoil ourselves?"

"People like him don't come around every day Thor. Pete was special, we all know it. We can't just sweep it under the rug like he never existed."

"He has a point Steve," Fury quickly interjected. His voice was wobbly, less in control than it had been before, but whether it was because they lost the child or that he failed was debateable, "We can't allow the world to go to Hell, even if we are sad about him. We knew what we were doing when we took the job, we didn't-"

"He changed everything!" Steve's cry abruptly cut off Fury's calm reasoning. The man sat back, stunned at the reaction. "He changed everything around here! Don't try to deny it, Nick, we all know that you loved him too! Whenever you woke up in the morning you asked me where he was, and I saw it when you read him stories! How can you be so calm about all this?!"

As they were talking they did not notice Tony slowly creeping in. He held a massive pile of documents in his hands, though only some were useful to him, and for the first time in a while there was a massive beam on his face. It quickly changed to a frown when he saw everyone fighting.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your little boxing session here, but I've got some news about our Peter," the billionaire's voice rang loudly over the discussion. For a moment the team fell silent, confused at what just happened, but then they turned around with eager faces ready to listen to their friend's news.

"What is it?" Steve's arm went around Tony's waist and, to his amazement; the billionaire did not push him away. He seemed to only smile at him before taking out one of the papers and reading it clearly.

"Over London, England, there have been reports of a strange interference. The government are completely baffled about what causes it but many have said that they have seen unexplainable lights over fields and meadows. These are being looked into by environmental agencies and services although they have not had any conclusive statement," he read it triumphantly and set down the report on the table. Bruce looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"That could be anything, Tony."

"I thought you might say that, so I did some digging into when Peter's pod crashed down into earth," the genius said as he tapped a pen on the white paper, "Do you remember the main effect it had on us?"

"The fact that it totalled farmlands and settlements out in the country aside?"

"Yes, that aside."

"Well, all I can remember from that night is my phone breaking. And almost immediately after that, the power went out for about ten minutes before coming back on...wait a minute, you don't think that the pod could be doing this, do you?"

Tony smiled widely before replying, "I believe that the pod is causing electrical equipment to break, momentarily or otherwise. It can reach massive distances, obviously, since we felt the effects here when he landed in the countryside. Do you know where they last reported technological difficulties, Brucey?"

"No," the scientist replied with excitement growing in his chest. Did they really have a chance to find the alien?

"The last place to report them was Washington. That's a giant leap over the ocean – I'm certain that the pod is somewhere in England, mostly likely with the facility men."

Steve felt a smile stretching over his face. His beloved genius seemed so ecstatic to have some evidence of the child, even though he did not fully understand. Shyly, he asked, "What does the pod have to do with Peter now?"

Stark smiled before planting a small kiss on the side of his head. The super soldier did not realise how his inability to understand some things seemed adorable to his 'friend'; Tony was not about to tell him either.

"Where the pod is, Peter will most likely be there too. I've already got a jet waiting - we're going to England. Tonight."


	31. Remember, Remember

Peter curled up against the clear prison wall. The darkness around him hugged his cage almost threateningly whilst the cold pricked at his soft skin like a thousand needles. Was it too much to ask for a blanket? Or maybe a pillow? He was freezing to death in this glass jar.

When he was in the Tower, Tony had been his warmth. He loved the billionaire's beard scratching the top of his head as he cuddled up to his chest, and the way that the reactor pressed against his torso. It assured him that he was protected from anything that might try to harm him. It made him feel safe in a world that kept trying to hurt him. The child felt he would never know peace until he got to see his protector again, although when that might be he did not know. He could not even be sure the billionaire was looking for him but he could always hope.

Slowly, Peter's eyes closed as he thought about these things. His dreams started to cradle his mind and eased him into a land of wonderment though he did not remember this world. He felt strangely at home in the bright white scenery, even relaxing enough to go toddling off by himself in an effort to explore the place.

Beautiful white roses lined a pathway up to a large, marble archway. So massive was this construct that it seemed to scrap the slightly pink sky and halt the strange squawking birds circling overhead. Peter clapped his hands whilst checking this thing over – why did he feel like he had seen it before? He could remember nothing since crashing down to earth.

"Osmostinos!" The child's ears pricked up; he knew that language. He knew that name. Where had he heard that name? It seemed familiar, something that he had heard before, but he could not place it. "Osmostinos! Over here! Come here!"

He turned to see a beautiful woman walking up the cobbled path. Her luscious brown hair draped over her tanned shoulders like a glossy curtain and her big dark green eyes almost shone in the weak sunlight. She had blood-red lips that seemed to be immaculately painted on skin as flawless as porcelain, in addition to large eyelashes shielding the gorgeous eyes. Something about her made him relax and he found himself rushing up to the strange lady with a massive smile on his face.

"My Osmostinos! It has been too long since I last saw you, special baby," she purred in a voice as smooth as silk, "Do you remember who I am? Please tell me you remember my face."

His eyes narrowed whilst confusion racked his brain. Who was this lady? Why did he find her so comforting? And why was she so desperate for him to remember her soft rosy features?

"I am sorry," he surprised himself with a coherent reply, "I do not remember you. What is your name?"

Her eyes filled with hurt. The green irises flooded with emotions Peter was too familiar with – loss, anger, upset. He stuttered on an apology for his lack of memory although she put a long elegant finger over his soft pink lips. She smiled at him through her pain.

"It has been a long time since we last saw each other, special baby. I have never forgotten your face, your name or your personality. But I suppose it is all too expected that you would forget mine," she stroked his soft down-like hair with love pouring in her eyes, "I am your mother, Osmos."

He froze. The lady could feel her child stiffening in her arms and, for a moment, considered putting him down so that he could take the news in. However it had been too long since she last cuddled him - she instead clung to him more fiercely, waiting for the initial shock to pass. His voice was as she remembered, childish and slightly laced with curiousity, and she smiled at his delicate features falling back into their original places.

"My mother? Where are you, then? Why am I alone here? You have left me in a world I do not know; you have left me with people who do nothing but hurt. Why should I believe that you are my own blood?"

His reply was much harsher than he intended. The alien was too scared to let her into his mind, in case she was truly just an illusion and he would never know what his mother really looked like. Although it could be argued that having an idea was better than nothing at all...

"Special baby, there are things you can't know until time passes," she replied wisely, "I had to let you go. There were forces that are stronger than either of us, pushing you away from my love, and I could never hold on to you when they were forcing us apart."

She seemed genuinely upset at his accusation. Peter's heart softened at the change in her voice, from soft to choked, and he lay his head down on her bosom to show his acceptance. The action calmed him, as if it were familiar, even though he could not remember ever doing it. The lady stroked his head again whilst cradling him closely to her chest; it felt so natural to have her child back in her arms. But the precious seconds were ticking by and the boy would have to wake up soon – she had to make the most of her time now.

"Osmos, you have to listen to Mummy now," he raised his head reluctantly and nodded, "I know the man that cared for you. Anthony Stark, the earth-bound billionaire businessman. You have to remember what the universe wants to happen, will happen, and you have to go along with it no matter what its decision is. That's what I had to do to ensure your survival. Do you understand?"

The alien was put back on the cobbled path. He stared at her with such confusion in his eyes that she thought his head was going to blow off, however it soon melted away into some sort of understanding. His thin pink lips stretched into a small smile.

"I think I do. Whatever will happen in my life is decided by the universe."

"Oh, no. No, that's not right special baby," his mother sighed before brushing her hair back behind her small ear, "There are some things that cannot be controlled. It's just that you have to go along with them, no matter what it might mean."

The toddler's head cocked to one side as more confusion flooded his green irises. What could the alien adult be babbling on about? She had just told him two completely contradicting statements, and she expected him to understand? He was only two years old...or was he? Even he did not know.

"Your mother is right, son," he turned as a deep voice rumbled at the stone archway, "There are things that cannot be controlled, not even by the cosmos. Unfortunately, our time with you was under the limitations of it, but not everything in your life will be."

The man was familiar. Not in the case that Peter had seen him before, but in the case that he felt he had never left him. It seemed his father was almost an exact replica of Tony. The likeliness was uncanny.

"I do not understand what you are saying – maybe in time I will. But you must tell me before I wake up. What does the future hold for me? Will I ever see you again? Am I doomed to never know where I come from? Please give me some answers; I don't want to be walking this world without an origin."

His plea was desperate. He knew that he would wake up and forget all about this encounter, maybe he would even forget that day if he was lucky, but he wanted to know a fragment of his existence. Even if that disappeared when he woke up.

"Ah, my baby boy," the father said whilst putting a thick arm around his shoulders, "You come from a world that was long ago destroyed. You are the sole survivor of us; do not fret though. You will never be lonely now that you are with the...Avengers, was it? And the future is unclear even to the dead, my child, so do not question us on that. Hopefully, in time, your paths will become clear and you will know which one to take."

Peter nodded with acceptance. His mother wrapped her arm around his waist and, for a brief moment, he remembered what it felt like to be in a family. The only people that ever imitated this feeling were the Avengers, which made him fondly remember them and wonder to himself when he would see them again.

His mother whispered into his ear, "You will see them soon, special baby. Our love will forever be with you. Be a good boy."

The scene began to melt away. The marble archway seemed to tumble into darkness as the cobbles started to dance away and the roses withered in their beds. His mother and father started to fade, leaving him alone as he cried for them to come back. He screamed in his language at them but to no avail – they had disappeared.

Just as he started to open his eyes in the glass prison again, he heard another soft whisper in his ear. Two people spoke...in one voice.

"_The boy born sleeping will bring about the end, but to another world he will defend."_


	32. Journey

Tony could find no rest during the journey. Even when everyone retired to bed, and he spent hours poring over his research notes, the billionaire couldn't find it in himself to fall asleep. The memory of Peter's soft screaming rang through his head like a million screeching violins – how could he let this happen? If it weren't for his stupidity and selfishness, the child would still be in the Tower and the team wouldn't be forced to go rescue him. He should have listened to Bruce; he should've never bullied Steve into letting him take the boy. There was so much he would have to apologise for when this was all over.

"Hey big guy," Stark looked up to see his beloved walking down the jet aisle, "Why aren't you in bed? You look tired."

He shrugged on the black leather seat as Steve squeezed in beside him. One warm arm wrapped around the playboy's waist before he felt a nose nuzzling into his neck, somehow making him feel more at ease. If they weren't flying thousands of miles in the air he might have said he felt the ground moving under his feet.

"Can't sleep. I just can't stop thinking about him, where he is or who he's with. Do you think he's okay right now?" Tony's words were laced with desperation. The super soldier wanted to give him an answer, something that would make him feel better about the situation, although he found that there were no words. Nothing would make his beloved superhero feel any more at ease.

"I hope he is," he finally said, "I hope they're treating him nicely. But that doesn't change the fact that he belongs with us, does it? Let's face it – none of us have been as happy as when Peter was running about in the Tower."

Stark sighed whilst laying his head on his broad shoulder. The thought of their precious alien, rolling around on the floor or making a mess of the kitchen trying to bake with someone, made pangs of sadness go off in his heart. He thought back to their conversation when they were in the restaurant – Peter made the arc reactor seem like a positive thing. He made it seem like it made Tony unique, not different.

"I don't know how I'm going to apologise to him. I don't know how I'm going to redeem myself to the team, or even to you," the billionaire felt a tear prick his eye, "I just want to get him home before I think about anything else."

"Apologise? To me? Why would you have to do that, Tony?" Rogers face fell into confusion. As far as he was concerned there was nothing his boyfriend had to be sorry for, aside from not sleeping properly or not cleaning up after himself when in the kitchen.

"For losing our son," the playboy replied with a raised eyebrow, "It's my fault he's gone. If I hadn't bullied you and made you let me take him, maybe he'd-"

Steve cut him off with a kiss. It was gentle, relaxing, and caused the billionaire to lose his train of thought long enough not to care. His hands sculpted the hero's chiselled features as his body rested instinctively against his. After about a minute their lips parted noisily, almost sadly, before Tony put his head against his chest.

"We'll get him back. You and me will get Peter back – we've got the whole team behind us, so there's no way we could fail if we put our minds to it."

"We can fail. We failed Coulson."

Both men looked at each other with sadness etching in their eyes. Memories of their dead friend played in their heads and, for a moment, they forgot all about their precious alien in favour of the deceased man. They could've just got along at first...but it took a death to make them understand the importance of team work.

"We won't fail Peter, not like we did Phil," Steve eventually said in a calm voice as he put his arm around Starks' shoulders, "There is no way in Hell that I'd let that kid – our son – die just because we can't get along. We've got the teamwork now, Tony; there's nothing that can stop us. We'll get him home."

His words seemed to calm the genius. The idea that they could work together and return the child back home made him feel better about this whole thing. Even the thought that their plan was filled with holes did not douse his new found feeling of hope. Peter could be returned home. They could have the toddler back. And there could be decades of happy memories on the horizon from them.

"It's late now. You better go to bed," Steve sat up from the chair, leaving his imprint on the leather as he stood up. The absence of his body left Stark feeling surprisingly cold even though he knew it was chilly outside.

"No, I'll be okay. I better just go over this report a couple more times; I want to make sure that we'll know where to go when we touchdown in England." Tony really just didn't want to lie in his bed alone, without the alien there to keep him company or something to keep his mind distracted. There was going to be nothing in that room that he could focus on.

"Report? You mean that one, little, tiny paragraph that you've written down? Don't think just because I'm not a science guy that I'm dumb. Bed."

The playboy found himself being dragged from the seat and down to one of the on-board bedrooms. His one was the largest and equipped with a small mini-bar that he used to get rid of bad memories or prepare to make more, however tonight he simply wanted to remember. Rogers pecked on his cheek before going down the hall.

"Steve?" Tony called before he could stop himself.

"Yeah?"

"Could you...could you stay with me tonight? It's cold."

The super soldier felt a smile stretch on his face as he started down the cream coloured jet, at his beloved superhero. He walked up and took his hand gently.

"Sure. Come on – time to sleep."


	33. Trails in Time

The team hit the ground running when reaching England. They were trying to avoid any attention – Tony fabricated a story in case they were found out – and kept themselves on the move in the countryside. There were restrictions on where they were allowed to stop, as well as time limits and close supervision of any changes around them. If too many people could see them they could get caught and this whole thing would be blown out of the water.

"Where are we actually going Anthony?" Thor asked whilst the car sped down the long country road, "It seems like we have been driving for days. Where do you think we are going to stop and set up?"

The billionaire gripped his steering wheel in anger. He couldn't admit that he did not know where they were going, or what they were going to do when they got there; the equipment clunking around in his trunk was only for show. They might not have even needed it when the time came.

"I know where we're going. Just trust me, alright? We'll get there," the sigh was stressed and exasperated so Thor left it alone. His friend was not himself right now – a shell of the uncaring tycoon he remembered. It seemed almost like his chocolate brown eyes had lost their intensity whilst his thick dark hair was dull and less bouncy, making him look as if he was much older now. When Peter was returned, they would probably see an increase in his youthful features.

"Maybe you should let me drive Tony," Bruce said from behind his large blue book. He was in the back seat and trying to keep his mind occupied with enjoyable science facts although he could not focus. Black and white words started to melt together like ice cubes as he thought about the child's smiling face. He was just as determined as his friends to rescue him.

"If you two don't stop, I'm sending you in the other car with Steve. Do you really want to be around Clint and Tasha?"

The men both silenced. After reaching England the pair seemed to become stuck together with glue, only parting to gulp in some air every now and again. On occasion Thor would notice they were separated although the miracle didn't last long enough for him to tell his friends. The God smiled slightly when he remembered their dedication to each other; any other person would have viewed their relationship as 'complicated'.

A few moments of precious quiet passed before Bruce suddenly piped up, "Peter will be in a mobile containment facility. How do you expect us to get in without a problem? Surely there will be more guards than we've had hot dinners."

"I've thought about that already. The agents that came round our house mentioned that they weren't from the government so I assume that they think they're untraceable," Stark drummed his fingers against the rubber wheel, "When we reach where we're going, I'm going to try and hack into their databases with my laptop."

The scientist rolled his eyes. His teammate's skills with computers often got them into trouble, sometimes enough that they would have to drop what they were doing to help, however it seemed acceptable in this case. He would push aside his inhibitions for the sake of Peter.

"Just with your laptop? Don't you think it'll be a little harder than that?"

"Brucey, it's me. And Peter is the one in trouble. I would hack them with a lemon wedge if that's all I had."

Thor felt a smile stretching on his lips, trying hard to contain his laughter. He did not know how his genius companion would react to that right now and didn't want to risk riling him.

The car ride was pretty much quiet after that. The God took to counting the different animals so he would not go insane from boredom and Bruce was concentrating on the book, whilst Tony focused on the road. Peter's soft voice echoed in his head as a sort of motivation, pushing him further and further along the bland grey concrete in an attempt to save his precious alien.

But his eyes were heavy. For hours, he had felt the threat of sleep creeping along his bones like a prowling tiger, although he still found himself trying to battle it down. Steve would go mad if he knew his beloved billionaire did not sleep on the jet, but could he really blame him? With his adorable face resting peacefully next to his head, Tony could not help but watch him until the sun glared through his window.

Finally they reached yet another designated stop. The accompanying car burst open almost as soon as it's black frame rolled to a halt, revealing a rather uncomfortable Fury and a bored Captain America, though Clint and Natasha did not come out. Bruce rolled his eyes before looking back at his book.

"Anybody want to get out? Bathroom, food, general sunlight?" Tony asked whilst turning off the car, "This is the last stop until we get to that hotel."

Everyone shook their heads. Their stomachs were practically begging for food but no one wanted to eat, and since no one had drunk anything that day there was no need for the bathroom. All they wanted to do was get to the hotel so they could start the real operation, which Tony still had to clarify.

"Are you lot sure?"

"We're not children Tony – we know how to control our own bladders. Just tell your boyfriend to hurry up so we can leave, right?"

Bruce did not mean to sound so irritable and mean. Stark realised his fellow researcher was anxious about the child, and that he was probably tired as he could not sleep on plane journeys very well, but there was no need to be so snappy with him. It took great strength to force down a smart-ass reply.

"Fine; don't come crying to me if you need it later then," the billionaire replied. He flashed a smile at Steve, who was outside collecting burgers up for them. The super soldier smiled back although he seemed distracted, probably thinking about the many miles between them and the hotel.

"I'll try not to," Banner replied grumpily. Thor sighed between them in a hope they would hear and cease their childish bickering. Anxieties were rising too high for him to help control.

Soon enough they were back on the road, hurtling towards their next stop at ninety miles an hour, and all fretting about Peter's current condition. Would Tony know what to do when they got to the hotel? Would he be able to calculate where they would start? When would he have the child back in his arms?

Only time would tell.


	34. Things I Put up with

The hotel was far below their usual standards. Mould was growing in the corners of discoloured beige rooms and strange black bugs scattered from cupboards as the team put their things away, trying to get away from the dim yellow light that flooded from a hanging bare-circuited light bulb. There were at least four beds in the room which everyone was going to share, as not to draw attention to themselves, with each one sporting a dirty red duvet in addition to a cardboard like pillow. Tony was thinking about giving in and going to a five star hotel instead but the thought of Peter made him stay put on the uncomfortable lumpy mattress.

Everyone climbed into bed awkwardly that night with their partners. Fury was forced to bunk with Bruce because Thor was too big although he did not mask his displeasure – he even went as far to line the yellowing sheet with sticky tape and telling his friend he would push him out if he got too close. The scientist simply laughed uncomfortably before lying down, trying to get some rest before they were expected to work. However, that was more a task than he realised; Tony was sitting up in bed working on his laptop most of the night.

The glaring blue light shone in Steve's eyes whilst he tried to ignore the infernal tapping. Every five minutes his beloved billionaire would say, "Ah!" and mark something down in a tiny notepad directly beside him which caused Rogers to get annoyed. Could he not see that everyone was tired? What could he possibly be doing that was so important?

For a moment he considered turning and giving his boyfriend a harsh talking to, but when he did he caught sight of the screen. There was a pre-school site on it dotted with thousands of words that the super soldier could not understand properly and covered with references. Tony was focusing on the science facilities available on site although he was marking out the school's price and scrawling how much it would cost for six years attendance. There were so many zeroes that Steve didn't bother counting.

"What are you looking at?" He whispered mainly because everyone was groaning at the two men to shut up, "That's a school. Why are you on a school site – I thought you already did your time?"

Stark threw a spare pen at Bruce's head in the darkness before replying, "Why do you think? When we get Peter back we're going to need a plan. I was thinking this pre-school mainly because its science faculties are perfect."

A smile stretched across Rogers' lips. He leaned forward from under the cover and pecked the Ironman legend's cheek softly, with a sense of affection building in his heart. To see the infamous playboy adapting so well to fatherly thinking was almost humbling.

"He's practically a baby. Don't you think it'll be better to get music boxes and toys before looking at schools?" He said in a soft voice, "There is lots of time for that in the future. Let's enjoy the time we have with him now."

"You mean when we get him back," the genius corrected him quickly. He was not letting his hopes rise too high yet, not until the job was finished. He wanted to make sure he went in with as much determination he could, and there was no way he could do that if they weren't thinking in those terms. They did not have Peter back yet; they had a clear shot to take him.

"Yes, when we get him back." Steve's face softened whilst watching the man work. Websites for schools, extra-curricular activities and even marking the best parks around New York were running although Tony seemed slightly embarrassed at them. The billionaire wanted people to remember his affection for the child did not mean he was soft – he was Ironman of course.

His beloved soldier closed the laptop when he turned to look outside the dirty glass windows. They were stained with mud, dust and the occasional dead fly, turning it a near brownish colour as the moon shone through in its silvery glory. He didn't even notice when Steve moved the computer off his duvet-covered legs.

"Don't you think it's time to sleep?" Rogers said whilst patting the thin cover around him, "We're probably going to be on the move again at the crack of dawn tomorrow; the day's going to be hard work. You need your sleep."

Stark sighed. The moon seemed to glow down on the team in front of him as if highlighting what kind of 'family' he had in life. A silvery curtain draped over their fully clothed bodies and caressed their features like a gentle breeze.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Well, something, but nothing important."

"If it's important to you, it's important to me. Come on, tell me what's up."

"Well...alright," the billionaire turned into the small single bed and cuddled up to his boyfriend's chest, "Remember when I'd take Pete to bed?"

"Yeah! You never came back downstairs when it was his bedtime – sometimes I thought you just watched him sleep!"

"I kind of did, but that's not the point. He used to love the moon, a lot, so every night I'd take him up a bit early so we could see it coming above the buildings. He used to clap and laugh at it; sometimes I just thought things were so much simpler when you've got a little kid with you. It's stupid, I mean, I made a bloody prototype of the Ironman suit from scratch, but when I looked at him things like that seemed so uncomplicated," Tony nuzzled his face into the man's chest after he said this. He felt so childish, so stupid, although Steve found it unrealistically adorable. There were sides of the tycoon that people had yet to see and it looked like Peter was going to bring these out of him.

"That has to be the cutest thing I've ever heard," he said as he placed a gentle kiss on Tony's forehead, "You can tell me more about it in the morning. I want to know everything Peter likes so _when _we get him back, I'll be able to at least make him smile. Come on now. Sleep."

As the soldier dropped off Stark watched his features relax eagerly. His arms went around his beloved's waist before looking out at the sky and wondering what they would do next. If they didn't have a plan, how could they expect to save the child? Where was he right now? Questions circled in his head that he desperately wanted to answer, although he knew that he would have to work day and night to figure them out. When Peter returned, he'd never let the boy go again.

"Night night, Pete. Sleep well."


	35. Fantasy

Peter was outside of his glass prison. The child was taken from there during the night and now found himself restrained on a metal table with hundreds of wires sticking out of his skin. Each tiny needle pricked through his soft skin like knives in hot butter; tears cascaded down his cheeks whilst the scientists around him wrote down data on their clipboards. Why were they doing this? The boy cried out for Tony as the injections continued.

"Shut up creature," growled one of the white lab-coated men. A smirk erupted on his cherry red face, showing his complete lack of care and respect for the little life lying on that table. If it were up to him, Peter would have been dead a long time ago.

"Hurts..."

"I don't care if it hurts – if you keep talking then we're going to kill you. Do you understand me?" The child's mouth clamped shut. Researchers continued to break his delicate skin and tried to calculate the secrets he held although they kept coming up short. Their primitive equipment and lack of understanding kept Peter's powers well hidden inside him...Tony would have already solved these problems by now. He would've unlocked the skills without harming his precious alien; if he did he would probably cry for weeks and do everything to make it up to him.

"When do you think the subject will be ready?"

"Months, yet. We've been trying to get his DNA out but there just seems to be something blocking us. If you just let us kill him then-"

"No one is killing him. Not until we have our samples, and our fresh experiments done. Then you can do what you want with him."

Peter could see the men talking at the other side of the room. His suit hung beside them as if it was a limp dead dog and they busied themselves by prodding it, checking for 'unusual substances.' They were simply wasting time of course; no one would hide anything with a child, much less one who was on the run from a force greater than himself. He could see the veins protruding out of skin like ugly blue worms whilst the needles penetrated his skin. They wanted his blood.

They wanted to see what made him different.

The world around him started to fade. As the blood was drained from his body, just enough left inside so that he didn't die, he could see the light dying all around him. The boring grey room started to break away and gave birth to a golden light shining directly upon his face, as if it were an angel descending from the sky.

Great warm arms of light enveloped him giving him a sense of love in this bleak situation. A sweet smell floated around him – roasting chestnuts – and he could hear music playing innocently in the background like some sort of bad family film. The feeling of relaxation fell over him; he had been here before. He knew this place. He was back home.

He was in the Tower. The light started to mould itself into the familiar black sofas and expensive curtains whilst little ray-lets broke away to form the more detailed parts of the sitting room. The boy saw his toys, the chess-set and the television being fashioned lovingly around him, almost like he was watching the Tower being built from scratch. It seemed so pure and perfect here that there was nothing he wanted more than to die in this fantasy.

"Pete! Peter!" He turned to see Tony walking through the big door, putting on his fancy grey suit with a smile on his face, "Hey fella! Are you ready to go then?"

Steve rushed in behind him armed with a comb and hairbrush; his eyes were going wild, giving him the perfect image of a madman as he started to tug the tools soft through Peter's hair. At first the child didn't understand – he was just so happy to be back with the men he cared about. Nothing else mattered at this moment...although soon curiousity got the better of him.

He stammered to the smiling billionaire, "Where...going..." Silently the boy found himself cursing, wishing that he did not have to suffer the language barrier anymore. When would he be able to shed the dead skin of his own talk and take the camouflage of English?

"Don't you remember? It's your school's first parents evening and we're determined that you're going in style. I've got the car waiting outside, so all we need now is Uncle Bruce to get out of the lab and get into his suit," the billionaire started to adjust Peter's clothing affectionately. He saw that the light had shaped around him into a comfortable pair of trousers and a baby blue shirt; both of them fit perfectly although his friend was worrying about every single detail.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to have all of us going?" The super soldier fretted as he combed the child's soft hair, "I mean I get if you or me went, but with all of us going it's more like an invasion."

"We're in this together, Steve. The whole team is going and that's final," Tony's reply was firm though affection highlighted in it. Peter felt the love circling around them like a tiger on the prowl, and it caused him to smile lightly when he saw the happiness in their eyes. It felt...perfect.

"I swear if this goes wrong Tony, I'm going to make you regret ever springing for this fancy pre-school," Steve replied as he punched the billionaire's arm. It quickly fell into a soft kiss at which the child made a sick noise and started to paw at his friend's legs.

Stark picked him up with a massive smile on his face. Things seemed so immaculate in this little fantasy world even though the child knew nothing was real around him.

"Come on then kiddo. Daddy and me will get everything ready – you go and wash your face over. I promise you that nothing's going to go wrong tonight."

If only he were really there.


	36. Importance

Thor pulled a baseball cap over his sweating brow. He was waiting in line to buy some water as the team had stopped a while ago, although the people in front of him decided to delay things by paying in pennies. The God tapped his foot on the floor with impatience – when would they be done? He could not risk being spotted, and standing around for hours on end was no way to avoid it.

A young woman in front started to look through her sequined pink purse again, pouting big red lips and stroking her light tanned skin. She was wearing an oversized straw hat, like she just stepped out of a bad film, complete with big purple-rimmed sunglasses with the price tag still hanging off of them. If he wasn't in a hurry, the Asgardian might have laughed and commented on how his fellow tourists seemed clueless in England.

Finally they managed to pay the full sum for two bottles of water. The lady smiled before taking the small boy beside her, who sported small shorts and a short sleeved white shirt despite the freezing weather outside. Thor felt a tug at his heart – if the child was not golden crested and didn't have slightly coarse features, he would have looked like Peter.

The pair pushed past him quite rudely. Out of instinct the hero said, "I would have moved if you asked," though the words were barely out of his mouth when he started regretting it. The woman turned around with a tight-lipped frown; her thick eyebrows lowered to show frown lines scoring her forehead like scars. Thor sighed to himself.

"What did you say?!" She asked in a thick Texan accent. Before the God could begin to apologise as he didn't want to get into fight but she cut him off, "I don't think you want to mess with me. Your muscles won't stop me from knocking you down, understand me?! I got a gun lying around in my car."

She stormed off in a strop after that. As she stomped away to her massive four by four and pulled her child along behind, she did not notice the water bottles falling out of her bag and landing in the mud. The God could see through the windows to her son pointing at them but she was too frustrated to stop and look, so he climbed into the petrol-guzzler and stared out at the hero before disappearing off into the distance. He sighed; when would people learn manners? There was no reason for her to blow up at him about that.

The cashier rolled his eyes behind the till, running a hand through his gel-encrusted hair and calling the man up to buy the water. Thor thought about Tony in the car – he was likely to get an earful about being late. It was probably a good thing his genius comrade wasn't here now, because the fight would have gone on for hours then.

"I swear I've seen you before mate," the pale man said whilst ringing up his water, "I've seen your face somewhere. Have you been on the news? Like, have you done something before? Ever been on a BBC interview?"

Thor shoved his hands in his pockets and grunted in reply. He feared that the man would distinguish who he was if he heard his voice so he tried his best to keep quiet, although he found there was no way to do this without seeming rude. He risked an, "Mmhm," before gathering his things and saying thank you in his best Australian accent. The cashier raised his eyebrows and nodded with a straight face although the urge to laugh was rising in his belly.

"What the Hell is taking you so long?!" A loud angry voice said as the little doorbell chimed, "We've got to get moving if we're ever going to set up the equipment today! Come on!"

Tony had been on edge all day. Since waking up that morning things started to go wrong that day; from the disaster at breakfast when the car refused to start to the fiasco by a well-used bridge, the billionaire could feel stress building up in his shoulders. All he wanted was one smooth day when he could think straight and try to work out a plan for when they got to the fields of Kent.

That was a plus side, at least. Bruce woke up early that morning, shoved up against Fury, and had decided to calculate where the electrical disturbances were the strongest. After many hours of brain-storming and remembering thousands of little numbers, he concluded that it would be beneficial to start in the Garden of England for their precious boy. The tycoon smiled when he heard the news however this soon disappeared as problems started to present themselves.

"I'm sorry!" Thor said, still in his fake accent, "A lady was in front of me, taking a rather long time! I would have been out sooner if she had notes on her! Don't worry though, friend, for I have the water now and we can be on our way."

Tony ran a hand through his wet black hair. Rain was falling from the sky like bullets now, smashing over the bonnet of his car and saturating the earth underneath them. His expensive shoes were clotted with mud but he didn't care; he wanted to be hurtling down the country roads on the way to Peter.

"Just get in the car, before I die of old age," the billionaire retreated back to the soggy outside and got into the flash black vehicle. Thor sighed to himself – if the man was in a foul mood now, what would happen if they couldn't get Peter back? What would he be like if they failed their mission? Not only would the God have to deal with his own mourning, the whole team would probably have to pitch in and try to stop Tony from getting addicted to drugs or something.

"Busy day?" The cashier asked with interest lining his voice.

"Busy? No...just important."


	37. God-Like Suggestions

Tony stared at the withered fields as they passed by. His car hurtled down the country road like a bullet through water whilst he thought about their situation. They must have been going the wrong way; there was no possibility that this was the place. It was only farmland around here!

"Are you sure we're heading the right direction Brucey?" The billionaire asked his friend, "I haven't seen one Lorry or car since we got on this road."

"Yes Tony, we're going the right way. Just relax a bit – my calculations are right," Bruce replied although he looked a little worried as well. Containment would take a lot of space up and the scientist could not spy any construct that would come close to sufficient. There were woods festering with critters and crawlers, and massive farmlands stretching way up to the baby pink horizon, but nothing that would hold a facility of scientists with their captive alien.

Stark tried to ease his shoulders whilst the vehicle continued. The boring grey path seemed to blend with the slightly bordering slightly raise grass banks though he did not care enough to pay great attention. Peter was still gone and, until he was returned, there was nothing that would capture his interests beyond usefulness.

"Where are we going then, friends?" Thor asked whilst staring at the grassy areas outside, "I can see nothing but natural earth. There aren't any buildings or vehicles capable of holding Peter's glass pod."

His genius companion looked at him. The God didn't mean any harm but his friend was already upset at the image of his son, locked away in that prison he hated so much. Tony thought back to the child's first day in the facility and how the glass stopped their interaction before. Maybe he was happier there now? Maybe the scientists were being kinder to his alien, making special allowances for his age and his inexperience...though the playboy could not force himself to believe this. They were not at all sympathetic towards his son's plight.

"Shut up Thor. We will find him soon, after we get another hotel and rest up. This time, can we get one with enough beds? I didn't get one wink of sleep with Fury's knee in my back all night," Bruce asked as he read his pocket language book. He was particularly stuck on the pronunciation of one word and it was taking his mind away from the grim situation.

"Sure, but Steve and me are getting the double bed. I swear, when he kept rolling on me I felt like I was going to suffocate," the tycoon smiled when he remembered his beloved's sleeping face. He had a tendency to move about a lot during rest, especially in unfamiliar beds, and his boyfriend found that the main thing he did to cope was to roll on his stomach. Unfortunately, Tony was lying underneath his stomach for most of the night.

"No arguments here," the scientist replied, "Except that the laptop stays off. Peter's not going to immediately go into school when we get him back so there's no point in looking for one, is there?"

"Oh no, I have to pick the right school for him! Otherwise he could end up like you!"

"Very funny, did you come up with that yourself?"

"Yeah – my education helped me," Stark smiled at his friends. For the first time in ages they saw his features lighting up slightly, causing him to regain some of his youthful looks, although he soon let his face fall back into place and concentrated on the path again. Hopefully there would be a town they could stop at soon. One with decent satellite signal.

Thor was holding his tongue; however he wanted to ask quite an important question. His brain was more suited to great battles and the arts of war but he felt his input was needed in some way...that his friends may have overlooked a possibility that could explain everything. If he knew better, he would say he was right as well.

An hour passed with no sign of civilisation. Every now and again the cars would pass a farmhouse although they did not bother stopping, and sometimes they would speed past metal road-signs talking about a nearby village. The miles got closer as they hurtled down the road and, eventually, Steve called them on the phone saying he was running low on petrol. They would be forced to stop at the next place, no matter where that would be.

"Well, looks like we're no closer to him yet," Tony said in a low, sad voice. He was so sure that today would be the right day; he was certain his precious alien was somewhere close yet still out of his grasp. It made him want to cry.

"Oh, we're closer!" Bruce cut in before setting his book aside, "We've gone from hundreds of miles away to only a few. With any luck, tomorrow we'll find out where he is, and a few days after that he could be back in the Tower eating all our food again!"

His friend was desperate to see the billionaire smile again. Whilst he would never admit it, he missed the cocky backchat and the off-hand remarks they often heard from their dark-haired Devil, and he was going to the ends of the earth to return these things home. It was as if Peter took them with him when he was kidnapped.

"I suppose you're right," Tony mumbled, getting out of the car with a heavy frown on his face. Banner noticed his forced movements – would he ever be the same again? They would miss the old, arrogant man if this shell took over.

Steve's voice called from the other car, "I saw a station up there! Go and get a hotel or something; I'll be back in a little while!" and like a flood his part of the team began to walk to the nearest bed and breakfast. It was a large place, stacked at least four storey's high with pink curtains flying out of each opened window, which made the researcher smile as he cleaned his reading glasses on his red checker shirt. Finally, a decent place to rest his head.

"Hold on Bruce," Thor stopped him before he could get out the car. His face had an expression mixed with worry and excitement. It was a combination Bruce had not seen in a while.

"What is it Thor?"

"Our friend mentioned that there were no cars on the road. There was nothing suitable, or capable, to hold little spaceman, am I correct?"

"Yes..."

"When my brother was being held, they used a plane to keep him captive and to stop his magical powers. What if they are doing the same thing to him?"

For a moment the scientist was at a loss for words. The possibilities unlocking in his brain were endless – great lists were cascading in his mind like Niagara Falls whilst he pondered on what the God had said. How had they overlooked this?

"That's actually a genius theory," he replied as he patted his shoulder, "I'm surprised that Tony didn't come up with it first. We'll give it to him tomorrow though, Thor. He's not in the mood to take any more news today."

The Asgardian nodded with a huge beam on his face. His rows of pearly white teeth shone like the sun when he climbed out of the car and started to walk towards the bed and breakfast; he had just given them another chance at finding the child. He desperately hoped that it would help them to retrieve him again.

Then he wouldn't be the only spaceman anymore.


	38. What Makes us Human

That night was restless for Peter and Tony. The pair lay awake, eyes wide open as they both stared at a blank wall and thought about each other. Although it could be argued that the billionaire was in a better place than his beloved alien – warm, safe, and curled up in the arms of a man he knew would protect him – his mind was whirling just as much as the child's when he thought about their memories together. He hoped that they would be able to make many more but it seemed like everything was forcing them apart, trying to keep them separated so the boy would be sent to an early grave.

Peter started to tap on the metal underneath him. It was not a comfortable bed; he had to use his soft hand as a pillow and try his best to think warm thoughts when the heating went off, but it was better than nothing. He would have preferred to lie on the cosy mattress at the Tower, safely tucked underneath Tony's arm and kept away from anything that might cause him harm. With a sigh the world almost seemed to bend around him and beckon him to a place he felt more comfortable in...if only he could go back home. If only his beloved friend could save him.

Tony stood up from his bed in the hotel. It was nice there at least, in the sense that the walls weren't oozing and there were no cockroaches scuttling about on the floor, though these things did not make him want to sleep. The moon outside dangled like a beckon of heaven, calling his name softly on the breeze whilst asking him where the special alien was. The world wanted them to be together, he could sense it, but the forces of the universe did not. It was a cosmic battle between the world's will and that of the unseen mastermind surrounding them. In a way, it was beautiful.

"Soon," he promised quietly out the window as the pink curtains draped over his face. Steve snored softly on the bed and, when the playboy turned to look at his boyfriend, he felt a smile stretching over his face. He was so calm, so peaceful...it was as if the world was put on hold for those precious hours he was able to sleep. Why could Tony not do that? Why was it so impossible for him to find solace until Peter was returned?

The child sat up in his glass prison. Outside, darkness hugged the clear walls like a predator on the hunt for food, which caused the boy to scoot away slightly. He was afraid of the dark – Stark never allowed him to be alone in it and he had learnt to fear it slightly since leaving the Tower. Bad things happened in the dark.

"Soon..." He muttered to the creeping blackness all around him. Peter was ever optimistic that he would be rescued by his hero, and that the facility would become little more than a bad memory, although he was finding it hard to remain this way in these conditions. The scientists were taking little pieces of him away, bit by bit, until he could feel his whole essence slowly slipping out of his grasp.

The billionaire pulled the windows shut as a draft blew in. It threatened to pull the comfy duvet away from his beloved's body and caused the shirts on a wooden chair to fall to the floor, so he was glad when the cold finally ended. For a moment he wondered whether his angel was safe and warm, like he had been in the Tower, however he knew that they would not be taking his comfort into consideration. They wanted answers, not sympathy.

Peter stood up in his prison and walked up to the glass. His face had an expression of defiance on it, as if telling the darkness to go away and bother someone else, whereas Tony's had an expression of pure sadness. They were both feeling the effects of losing each other; whether that was in losing youthful appearances or generally losing youth.

At the same second, they put their hands against the glass. Stark felt the coldness seep into his skin, causing him to think about moving it away yet in the end he didn't. Peter could feel the icy claw of anger and injustice digging into his soft palm and still he did not draw his hand away. A connection seemed to pass through them at that very instance – something that told them they were together in spirit. The child smiled to himself.

Tony wanted to cry.

Tears pricked his chocolate eyes as he withdrew to the warm inviting bed and snuggled beside Steve. The super soldier sub-consciously put his arm around his beloved, unknowingly comforting him, and he nuzzled into the man's thick dark hair as if it was a soft teddy bear. He whispered under his breath, "Soon," before falling silent again.

Peter sat back down and prepared himself for another restless sleep. His hand was red all over, imprinted with marks from his face, and he frowned to himself as he snuggled underneath his ripped suit jacket. A half-eaten plate of grey slop sat beside his head and for a moment he considered using that as a pillow, only discarding the thought when he realised how dirty his hair would get. There was no big soldier to clean him up now.

_I wonder if we'll all cuddle like this one day, _Stark thought whilst nuzzling into Steve's chest, _I wonder if we'll be a happy family. We'll always be together, and I'll never let him get in harm's way. I wish I had a chance to show him that. I wish I had the chance to be a father._

In separate rooms, Thor and Bruce were also awake and staring out into the night sky. The God was contemplating his idea more whilst paying his respects to the boy, just in case when they got there they were too late. Banner was awake because there was no possible way he could rest easily knowing what sort of experiments the boy was being put through. Fury sat up in his bedroom as well, watching the stars twinkle in the night as he hoped for the best.

He saw how everyone cared for the child. He saw the looks, the happiness, the anxiety when Peter was upset, and how they strived for his well-being. While these were all going on in his head, if anyone asked Nick would not be able to lie to them. He missed being the grumpy old uncle to the alien. He missed the family feeling they all got.

Peter closed his eyes in the prison, just as everyone in the team did. At that moment they all had something in common no matter how far apart they were.

One tiny, sparkling tear ran down their cheeks.


	39. Where I Rest my Machines

The next day was a mad rush. Tony wolfed down his breakfast in seconds before darting out in the stormy weather, hoping that today they would find Peter and his nightmare would finally be over. Bruce ran after him with bundles of papers in his arms whilst the rest of the team quickly gulped down their meals in an attempt to keep up. When would the billionaire realise how tired they were? It was like he was forever on auto pilot now, completely disinterested until he had his son in his arms.

"Alright Steve, get the car on the road and let's go!" He called out of his tinted window, "If we're not gone in five minutes, there will be Hell to pay!"

"We're all just as worried as you are Tony! We'll be on the road soon!" His boyfriend called in reply as he clambered into his separate vehicle. The super soldier would have been far more comfortable if they were travelling together – that way he could keep an eye on his beloved – but he was happy to help the team out in any way he was able to. If that meant he would have to keep away from the billionaire, so be it.

Soon enough they were racing down the road at break neck speed. The grass bank borders were replaced by red brick houses and a few green parks although no one paid much attention to them, all too concerned with the mission at hand to do any sight-seeing. Stark charged past it all so fast that it moulded into a greyish blob anyway.

"We can slow down, you know," Bruce pointed out as he was jostled to and fro, "I don't think we'll find anything except a ticket if you keep doing this. Or arrested. Your choice though."

"I just want to get where we're going fast so we have enough daylight to set everything up. I don't care if we have to work through the night; we're finding my boy tonight," the playboy was determined to let this be the last working day. There was nothing crueler than putting the team through day after day of travelling, even though their need to find Peter was driving them.

Steve travelled beside as best he could. Tony's foot pressed against the accelerator like he wanted to get away from his lover however he was not really paying much attention to him. The soldier shook his head in frustration whilst he watched the vehicle speed away.

"So, Steve, why did you fall for him? I mean, I get you being gay and everything...but why _him?" _Clint asked, climbing into the leather seat beside him. For a moment, the hero thought about completely ignoring him although his mouth started moving before he made a decision.

"There's a lot to Tony that we don't get to see," he said whilst tapping on the steering wheel, "Some things he keeps really close to his chest, so that we can't judge him for it. I guess I want to be with that guy – I want to be with the real Tony, and not this front he puts out to everyone. Did you see the way he was with Peter?"

"Yeah. That was the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"That's the guy I like. The kind, sensitive one, who only comes out when he's around the right people. I think he's finally starting to realise that we're his family and not just his housemates," Rogers smiled to himself when he thought about their first night in the Tower. Tony's awkward mood was adorable as he settled around to new people around his home; even eating dinner became a chore for him while he sat in-between his new teammates and attempted to nibble on his sirloin steak.

The billionaire clutched the steering wheel in his car. He was not thinking about their first night in the Tower nor was he reminiscing anything in his past, instead favouring to remember his father's teachings when he was growing up. There were many things he would never pass on to Peter that came from Howard Starks' mouth, although a few gems did sparkle in the awkward mess.

Tony remembered that on the morning of his first school day his father had given him some excellent advice, albeit put in a way that made him cry as a boy. Strutting through the mansion in his brand new polished shoes, Stark could not feel more proud to be wearing his school clothes. Howard took one look at him before rushing out to yet another meeting.

"Good, good, he's dressed," he muttered whilst gathering up his necessities, "Remember to listen to the students and never the teacher. They're the ones who matter. And wipe the smile off your face, Anthony; there's nothing to look forward to on your first step outside the door."

Even though Tony was forced to listen to his teacher sometimes, it felt good knowing his father actually gave some good advice. By listening to his peers he grew to understand what everyone wanted, gadget-wise or other, and he managed to manipulate this knowledge to his own advantage when his parent died. The billionaire was sure to pass these skills onto his son after returning him home.

"We're nearly there now. Only a few more minutes and we'll be able to set up!" Bruce suddenly sprung to life in the back seat. His pocket book jumped over the tycoon's head and landed perfectly in his black-jeaned lap, causing him to become startled and swerve slightly on the road.

"Really?! No more damn fields or anything?!" He gasped in surprise, "I thought we'd never see the end of these farmlands! Do you think we'll get to Peter tonight? Do you think that he misses me?"

The scientist's face fell slightly. He had looked forward on the co-ordinations and saw where they would be stopping; however he kept it to himself as a sort of surprise for the team. Now that he heard those words from his friend's mouth, he was not sure whether they were going to be so thrilled.

Finally the cars started to slow to a halt. Steve parked near some marshy planes whilst the billionaire drove his right on the location, with disbelief bulging in his chocolate brown eyes. This couldn't be the place. They had to have taken a wrong turn. Bruce might've got the calculations wrong. This just couldn't where they needed to work.

"Brucey..."

"Surprise...?"

This field would drive Tony off the deep-end.


	40. Before its Too Late

Peter was playing with some old nails when it happened. The child neatly arranged them into an arrow, facing towards the scientists, and looked up with a smile as he thought about Tony's reaction to it. He always made a big thing out the things he did...he always seemed to care about it.

However when he looked up, he saw that they were busying themselves by milling about a massive television screen. It was black, lifeless, much like the cold eyes of each and every man there.

"This is bad, Horace," fretted one lab-coated researcher, "This is really, really bad. You told me that no one could find us here!"

"And they cannot. Don't worry about it Cynthia – there's not much that they can do to discover us, is there?" Another person calmed his colleague although his voice was riddled with worry. There was obviously something to fear. Maybe there was something that Peter could look forward too.

The toddler sat up and looked straight at the screen. It started flickering to life, making whirring sounds as if it was taking a great load of energy, before showing a grainy image of an old field. It was in black and white at first, and only regained colour once a scientist smacked it on the side. He smiled triumphantly through his ugly gas mask.

"Learnt that from Mr. Stark himself," he said as he dusted off his gloved hand, "That idiot thought we were really asking for his help. Oh well; whatever gives us the equipment we need, I suppose." His passing glance at Peter told the child what he meant. He glared straight back at him, his face so stone still that it even worried the cruel dictators of this realm.

Finally, the image became clear enough to see. The boy spied withered brown crops wilting in showers of dirty rain, accompanied with frost-tipped grass and malnourished grazing cows. They hobbled about on weak legs but they seemed content to spend the rest of their lives on the practical wasteland. It was something Peter found himself admiring.

"I don't see anything. Are you sure you're not wrong again?"

"I was only wrong once. It wasn't like it was my fault anyway. I blame you."

"You always blame me Horace. That's why I can't get a job anywhere else."

"Well then you better hope that we don't fire you after this mistake," the scientist started tapping buttons on a small keyboard in front of him. The child remembered that Tony had an advanced computer, which needed no primitive equipment to operate, and smiled softly when he thought about his confusion the first time he heard it. It had been a long time now since he was scared by JARVIS.

The image began to alter slightly, as if it were being moved. The cows slowly disappeared from view whilst it crept along the rest of the boring dead field, searching for something that Peter did not know about. Maybe they had found another pod? Maybe they were going to fleece another family of its members? Maybe he was just being bitter about everything. He could faintly recall an omen that the universe was totally against him, so why should he feel entitled to a family?

Suddenly Peter felt a surge of joy running through him. So strong was this emotion that he struggled to stay on his feet, whilst his hands started to clap in complete and utter glee. How could today get any better? There was no way he would ever feel this happy again!

Tony stood on the screen, covered in a giant coat and wearing a strange plastic shower cap on his head. Around him were dozens of portable machines and a few half drunk cups of coffee although the boy was more concerned with the man underneath the mechanical constructs. Bruce's legs could be seen wiggling away as he set up yet another device, in an attempt to satisfy his friend's need to have everything prepared. The team were there! The team were trying to save him! Well, he assumed so, because he was certain the eccentric billionaire wouldn't be holidaying in such a dingy hole...

"Let's go, let's go! We need this stuff ready _yesterday, _Brucey! Steve, come and help me set this up!" He shouted on screen although it came through like a patchy walkie talkie message, "Don't you all want to save him? Come on!"

"To-knee! To-knee! Saved...saved!" Peter was so joyous that he started to repeat all his words but he didn't care. There was nothing the scientists could do now; Tony was on his way and nothing sort of an all-out fight would stop him.

"Shut up!" The man named Horace smashed against the glass in frustration. His perfect little plan was coming to an all-to-immaculate end. And what did he have to show for it? Nothing except this small little creature, kept in the prison like a pickle in a jar, looking up at him with, 'I told you so,' eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Cynthia asked whilst taking down her hood. She was a pretty lady although with a forgettable face – definitely one of those people that would get noticed in a nightclub however only after the herd had thinned a bit.

"What can we do?! They're going to kick us in when they find us! Do you think we should move the ship? Can we do that with them being so close? Will the camouflage work properly?"

"Be quiet, all of you!" Horace beckoned for silence amongst his peers and, after much time had passed, they finally started to settle down. He smiled at them all as he removed his large mask, "They're not going to find us. The ship is too well camouflaged. It was SHIELD's design, of course."

"But-"

"No buts! We're totally fine up here, with this little bastard locked behind the glass. There's nothing that can happen up here without him dying, do I make myself clear? Do you think dear old Anthony Stark could stomach being the sole reason his precious little creature dies?"

"How will he die?!"

"They kept someone else in a container like this. It's automatically synchronised to another system that, when activated, will trigger the unlocking of a hatch underneath and will cause subject P to fall to his sweet demise. The poor Avengers would be responsible for that, if they dare come any closer than they are already."

Peter felt tears prick his eyes. How cruel was this world, to offer him both salvation and damnation at the same second? No matter which way this battle went it would see that his blood spilled upon the floor. Why were the fates so unkind to him? He was too young to understand this madness.

"That's...that's a bit..."

"Genius, Dan? Yes, I thought so too – just goes to show I suppose. The old dogs at SHIELD must be doing something right, to give us such a valuable tool to use," Horace wandered over to the familiar grey machine that Peter dreaded so much. He knew that the minute the madman touched those many beeping buttons he would be lying on the floor, gasping for breath and begging for relief.

"Don't you think Mr. Stark will kill us?"

"Why would the hero want more blood on his hands? Do you think Captain America would allow more to be spilt? They'll probably be too busy crying over his death to worry about where we'd be going."

"And where would we go? You know as well as I do that this is our last chance; one more screw up and we're as good as dead anyway!" Daniel seemed worried but genuinely concerned for the child's welfare. Of all the other scientists, he was the only one that set the experiment's painful leeching tools to low.

"Our bosses will get what they want," Horace replied airily, "They always do in the end. I don't see why they bothered employing us if they can just snap their fingers and there it is, right in front of them!"

"They're weak right now. I'm surprised they could even contact us after that...thing...wiped out nearly all of their energy source."

"You're right Daniel. Now why don't you go away and scrub up some of the crap on the canteen floor, before you start to worry someone? And the rest of you; back to work! Go, go, go!"

The scientists quickly filed out of the room. Their faces were the picture of anger and frustration although none of them so much as murmured when disappearing from Peter's containment area. Some of them paused to spit at his tank although he did not take much offence...he did not care what those savages thought about him.

As soon as they were gone, Horace started to slowly pace around the machine in a threatening manner. Piercing blue eyes stared at the child whilst a slow, menacing whistle started to echo amongst all the unnatural machinery. Peter continued to hold his stare. It got to a point where the researcher had to look down and start talking.

"You're a fickle little creature, aren't you? My bosses were so happy about finding one of your kind, alive, yet I still don't see why," he said before scrap his fingers against a dusty monitor, "You're nothing here. You're not even dirt. All you are is a little, simply energy source, just ready to be plucked and shaped and used. Does that make you feel angry, little bastard? Do you want to kill me right now? Can you break through this glass and attack me with your powers, or are you just going to sit there and gawk? You're pathetic."

Peter held his tongue as he stared at the man. There was plenty he wanted to say, and none of it complimentary, but he was not ready to receive another vicious beating. His bruises still hurt for last time.

Horace smashed the machine again and shouted, "Pathetic! I tell you what; you've been so damn un-cooperative that when your little saviours get here, we're going to slice them in two! And we won't stop there! We'll get our bosses to hold them in place and really, really slowly torture them, make them say what's really on their mind when we cut off their ears and feet! And every part of them that comes off will make them hate you even more!"

The boy was stunned to tears. He could not imagine being the reason for his team meeting an agonising end...he didn't think he would survive sitting by and watching them die. He was not worth all this pain and suffering although he was determined to see it through.

He got up with a tight frown fixed in his soft features. Slowly he started to trundle to the glass wall, looking through like he was trying to break it, however he found his skills completely useless against the material. Horace smiled triumphantly until the boy started to speak.

"I...am...strong..." He stammered with great difficulty, "I...am...strong. To-knee...is...stronger. He...will...hurt...you..."

"What makes you think that, bastard?"

"Because...I...love...him..."

In pure fury, the scientist slammed on a high power button before exiting quickly out of a nearby door. Peter felt bolts of agony slicing down his body like scythes through corn and he screamed out in such an intense pain that it could be felt everywhere. Even the team on the field felt shivers going down their spine.

The alien fell to the floor screaming for mercy although he knew it would not come. The wiry 'hair' atop the glass jar rattled and sparked with the energy being leeched from his bones, only spluttering to a halt when their reserves were filled and a smell of smoky bacon filled the room. The electrocution had been so intense that Peter's soft downy hair had been slightly singed, whilst bits of his skin were turning red. He could not move for the pain.

"Oh my God..."

Peter could not lift his head.

"Cynthia, look at what Horace did! He's gone insane, he's gone bloody crazy! We can't let him do this anymore!"

"What can we do Dan? I didn't ever want to kill him; look at me, do I look the sort to kill kids? I only came here to research an alien for Christ's sake!"

The child attempted to move his shoulder but it fell back onto the floor. He could feel his vision fading. The voices were becoming quieter.

"We can't keep up this act anymore. We both know what's right and we both know what we have to do. I never wanted to hurt him like this...I never even wanted to work on him. What are we going to do?"

"There's only one thing we can do Dan."

"They'll kill us on sight."

"No they won't – they're not like that. We'll probably just get the crap beaten out of us, which we both deserve. They're good people Dan."

"They won't believe us."

"They have to. They're the Avengers."

Peter fell into unconsciousness.


	41. Forever Hunted

Rain poured all over the portable machines and equipment. Tony, with his hands shoved deep down into his pockets, attempted to keep warm as the rest of the team retreated to the car for warmth. The storm was getting worse by the second – if it kept growing, they might have had to give up and try to wait it out.

"Come here!" Steve called from the fully heated car, "I don't want you staying out there; you're going to catch your death of cold!" His voice was laced with worry although his beloved didn't pay attention to it. There was nothing circling in his mind except innocent little Peter, quivering in fear whilst the scientists poked and prodded him...

"Give it up. There's nothing you can say to make him get in," Clint replied before cracking open a cold beer can. A quick trip to a nearby market had provided them with 'necessary' provisions, however no one could stomach a chilled drink or a packaged sandwich right now. They were too focused on keeping warm and a rising feeling of guilt that clutched all of their stomachs.

Tony continued to stare at the bleak field. Showers of rain fell upon the skeletal cows lurching about and the hideous withered crops seemed to twist underneath their own weight. Why would anyone set up a secret facility here? There were no resources around to power any machines nor were there any decent office supply shops that could provide even the simplest in tools. And don't even get him started on the need for space.

His super soldier boyfriend sighed whilst clambering out of the car. A cold, brisk wind brushed against his uncovered arms, and he silently cursed himself for wearing his short sleeved shirt that morning. When would he learn to pack spare long shirts?

"Get into the car," he ordered in a stern voice, "You're not going to find Peter if you get sick. Come on."

The billionaire felt a tug on his arm but he still didn't respond. Steve suddenly felt fear rising in his chest when he noticed his beloved's statue-like posture and his seemingly lifeless eyes. Was he okay? Had this search finally driven him off the deep end? He was considering physically moving him until he looked up and smiled.

"I don't want to get into the car. I'd rather stay out here and work on these measurements some more. Why don't you drive the team to that market; try to find us a place to stay for the night if the storm doesn't pass," he said in a slightly weary voice. The super soldier noticed dark rings around his intense brown eyes and, for the first time, he began to realise just how old Tony seemed. Instead of a vibrant man of forty, he seemed more like an ailing elder of seventy five. It was...crushing.

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself. What we do we do together, understand me? Besides, the equipments probably useless right now – we should go back and try to think up another plan," Rogers replied whilst taking his boyfriend's hand. Tony shook his head slightly but soon gave in and wandered to the car, a sad expression descending on his rather tired-looking face.

What plan would help now? Nothing he seemed to own would find his beloved alien, nothing that he could manufacture could pinpoint the child's exact location. It wasn't like there was an apple device on his person.

"You alright Tony?" Bruce asked although he was not expecting a reply. His fingers were a bright red from being outside so long, and he expected that his friend thought he was 'wimping out' when he retreated back to the car. The playboy just didn't understand that they couldn't stay in that unbearable cold for too long.

As he expected, his genius comrade just started up the car and prepared for an upsetting journey back. Without his precious Peter in tow, the ride home would always be a solemn affair.

"My friend, this is not the end of our search," Thor pointed out as he rubbed his hands together, "We will find the spaceman and return him to his rightful place."

"Yeah, yeah, I know we will. I just...I just wish he was here now, y'know? I want to hug him again," Tony replied in a slightly embarrassed voice. He wasn't shy about showing his affection for the sweet little alien, but he was totally humiliated to show his more sensitive side to the team. He wasn't fully sure he could trust them with it yet.

They began to back out of the field before Bruce turned his head. He could see the equipment lying on the field, stranded like useless pieces of litter, although he did not pay much attention to it. In the distance he swore he saw two murky silhouettes lurking on the horizon...

"Tony, stop the car," he ordered. The tycoon turned his head back with one eyebrow raised.

"Why?"

"Just stop the damn car!"

"Fine, fine; you don't need to bite my head off about it," he quickly turned the key and shut the engine off, "What's so important that we have to stay here?"

The scientist slammed open the door before he could reply. Like a man possessed he began racing over the field, towards the figures hidden by the rain, and started to shout to them in a loud voice. He felt as if they knew something, something that would help them find Peter.

The figures belonged to Dan and Cynthia. They could hear the shouting, however they spent the first few seconds frozen in fear and struggling for something to say in return. Bruce Banner was the hulk – they didn't fancy having their bones crushed when they revealed their part in Peter's capture.

"You two! Both of you! What are you doing here?!" Banner shouted whilst the team quickly followed him, "What are you doing?"

Daniel took a deep breath before shouting in reply, "We have information for you! We...we know about the boy! Follow us; we have to talk in a safe place! Quickly now!"

Cynthia moved behind him and started to walk to a forest, just beyond the horizon. Her luscious hair bounced over her damp shoulders like a bungee rope when she went in-between the slightly charred trees. No one would think to look for them in a burnt forest.

The Avengers were now more than interested in them. Information? On the child they cared for so much? None of them cared about where it came from or who these people were at this point, they simply wanted to hear what they had to say, so no one argued when they started to trundle into the woods. The mud sucked at their shoes slightly as they walked.

"What do you know about him?" Tony yelled although he found no answers, "What do you know about my son? Tell me right now; tell me what you want to say!" Steve took his hand to calm him however he found that nothing could quell the billionaire's infuriated mood. For about an hour they wandered in the slowly thickening woodland, long enough to completely forget about their machines on the field.

Finally, Daniel stopped them. The team found themselves in a clearing, completely sheltered from the raging storm outside, and looked around to see small creatures quickly absconding. The critters never saw humans before. But everyone ignored it as they watched the scientist standing in front remove his mask to show a soft baby face. Curly black hair fell over the top of his milky white forehead, in addition to his dull grey eyes and his slightly pointed chin – he looked a boy-band member rather than a highly accomplished scientist.

"I'm glad you decided to follow us. We understand that it can be quite taxing to believe people you've never met-"

"You mentioned Peter. How the Hell do you know about my son?" Tony immediately interrupted him. The billionaire was in no mood for small talk or conversation and Steve mumbled under his breath that he should not be so rude, although he was more interested in knowing about his precious alien as well.

"We know Peter because of some...unfortunate circumstances. Our bosses ordered that we work on a special experiment, one that required our undivided attention, only we couldn't know what it was. A man named Horace was put at the head of our team and soon we began to have a facility built in dedication to our experiment. Everyone was very excited as our bosses are undeniably, very powerful people. Some of us were so worked up that we didn't even care what we had to do..."

"You're part of the team working on Peter!" Bruce suddenly yelled, "You're the ones doing the experiments! You bastards! Don't you know how much you're bloody hurting him?! I'm going to kill you!"

The whole team separated as their friend collapsed to the floor. He started to convulse like he was about to throw up, when in reality he was trying to battle the green beast hidden away in his mind. Cynthia gulped; were they about to die?

"We didn't want to hurt him!" Daniel screamed back in fear, "We were so careful to make everything as painless as possible! Sometimes we managed to sneak him extra food and such, but Horace has gone insane now. Our superiors demanded that we extract his power and energy to help supply their own needs-"

Banner fell down, exhausted. The Other Guy started to die down as he felt the calm envelope him; too many days had passed with complete solace and he wasn't about to let that go. He struggled to pay attention to the conversation.

"Energy?" Steve asked in a confused voice. Energy was something every little boy was stuffed with although he wasn't sure that was what they were referring too.

"Telekinetic energy," the genius on the ground panted, "Little Peter's brain is completely covered in a strange field – I did a quick X-ray when Tony was out and I saw it. At first I thought the machine was busted but then I started to realise, that's what made him different. That's why he has those powers."

"Correct."

"Those fields used to cover our bosses planet, until the creation of another solar system not far away. Eventually they started to dry up and the inhabitants began to lose their gifts. They didn't know why, but then one of them got a telescope and saw these humanoid aliens growing and developing their own society...they thought nothing of it before the child in question was born."

"What do you mean?!"

"Peter is the only one left of their kind, and the only one who was gifted with telekinesis. My superior's ancestors thought that he stole their energy, and started a battle that lasted centuries with the planet. In that time, the two societies collapsed, and the boy was put in a pod that led him here. Our bosses are the only ones left of one world – they intend to not only avenge their ancestors but to take back what they believe was stolen from them."

Daniel let out a great sigh of relief as a weight lifted off his shoulders. The people in front of him were struggling to take in the news, like their dear two year old was truly centuries old, although they nodded towards the scientists. Tony wanted to know more.

He put his head on Steve's shoulder before whispering, "How long have we got?"

"By the way they're extracting his powers, I'd say a few days. Maybe he has a week. If they left him for a while then he'd regenerate his abilities but they want to kill him, soon," Cynthia felt tears prick her eyes when she remembered the soft glowing green eyes of the child. How could anyone want to murder something so beautiful? It was insane.

Stark looked up at his boyfriend. They felt the same emotions at the same time – pain, fear, anger – however they both knew what they had to do. Their son was in danger.

"Where do you come from?" The super soldier asked with courage lining his voice.

"An aircraft, designed by SHIELD," Fury shook his head in disbelief before the man continued, "It's camouflaged but we can lead you to it. Getting you in is going to be a tad more difficult...do you really want to risk it all?"

The team gathered around Steve and Tony. They looked around at the eyes filled with heroism, courage and love, and the pair knew exactly what to reply as they separated and stood tall.

"Let's go save our son."


	42. Found You

Peter patted down his soft downy hair. His little pink tongue stuck out in a concentrated expression as the untamed locks started to bend to his will, and he smiled slightly when they finally fell into place. He felt the need to be clean although he did not know why – his strength was slowly coming back to him since the unfortunate electrocution/sapping incident.

"Good to see the alien finally woke up," one man whispered to his friend, "I thought that Horace had certainly killed him. Don't you think he's going a bit...well, homicidal with this mission?"

"Shut up! He'll hear you," the fellow researcher growled before turning back to his work. Large flasks sat on the metallic table, filled with liquids Peter did not know, and he found a strange solace in staring at them. Bubbling away with red, purple and blue, they seemed like odd scientific Christmas lights than experimental fluids. Although the alien was reminded of a strange warm substance that stirred memories in his otherwise blank mind.

A few hours passed with the boy grooming himself. The scientists watched him closely like they were guarding him; however he knew that they were simply doing their job. Horace the Villain would probably have them all slaughtered if he knew that they shirked their duties, instead favouring to concentrate on less painful tests to run on the child. What better way to spend their time than keeping eyes trained on a little boy? His twisted mind only cared for the praise his superiors offered.

"Little one, we're going to have to run another test," a woman of about forty told him whilst tucking a golden lock behind her ear, "You need to keep really still otherwise it'll hurt a lot. I know it all seems very scary...just trust me, okay? We'll make sure you're not hurt."

Peter nodded even though he didn't care anymore. After days of painful experiments, degrading tests and humiliating treatment, he had learnt that his feelings were not the priority here. His bones felt weak as he stood up and glared straight into her eyes.

"You...hurt...day. I...will...be...killed...here."

His words struck the lady deeply in her heart. She had her own children – two young girls and a baby boy – waiting at home, and she found it morally repulsive that she could do something like this to another child. Often she lay awake at night, thinking what the child's mother would say to her, or what she would feel if it were her children captive behind that glass wall.

"We promise it won't hurt too much."

"L-liar. Glass...will...be...tomb..." Peter turned from her and sat back down on the cold floor to play with his nails. They had cut his fingers numerous times but he didn't mind; he couldn't expect the toys he had in the Tower, so these were a satisfactory replacement. What he wouldn't give to be home again, wrapped up in the arms of his beloved billionaire...

"Claire! Don't touch that button!" A deep voice boomed from the door. The alien looked up to see the familiar face of Daniel as he strode into the room, "Horace started going through your personal items and wants to see you immediately. Something about treacherous behaviour? I wasn't paying that much attention."

The fair haired lady suddenly shot out of the room without so much as a passing glance. She left her clipboard on the side when she left, and the child noticed a rather oddly shaped scientist pick it up. He did not quite fit into the typically white gear that they all seemed to wear – his body shape was much more suited to different types of outfits. Peter's eyebrows rose once he noticed Daniel was not alone.

A long line of 'scientists' followed him, all equipped with large decontamination masks and filling the cold mechanical room with something the child couldn't quite remember. Warmth spread in his chest whilst he gazed at their separate bodies; something about them reminded him of a better time. Something about them seemed different.

"Cynthia, disconnect some of the buttons," the man ordered his female companion, "Only the high-powered ones. We need to make sure that the bosses don't become wise to our situation. Mr. Banner, what can you tell from the clipboard?"

Peter pushed his face against the glass. He noticed one of the men wandering up towards him and removing his mask, although he got the sense he was not supposed to. The large terrifying cover fell to the floor with a large thud...and the boy squeaked in joy.

"Hey Pete," whispered a soft, familiar voice, "We're going to get you out of here, okay? Just don't make a sound otherwise we might get caught. I've missed you so much."

The child clapped a hand over his mouth before rubbing his head against the clear prison wall. It had been too long since he felt any hope for his situation. And now, here was his saviour, standing so calmly in front of him that he couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved. Tony would know what to do.

"Little man!" Steve said loudly. Thor covered his mouth and for a second, they all stayed completely still, fearful that someone heard the outburst from their leader. It gave them a moment to ponder the thought that they were standing in such a mysterious place with no other motive except rescuing their precious child.

Not long ago they were still standing in that forest. Daniel promised the team he would lead them although he forced them to wear these ridiculous outfits, in an attempt not to rouse suspicion from the other researchers on board. He was a good man – all he wanted was to see the alien taken away from this place, for good.

The team set about disconnecting things. Stark found himself struggling to remain quiet as all he wanted to do was scream and clap his hands with joy. Peter was exactly how he remembered, albeit with slightly singed hair and a more hardened look, and he felt relief clutching at his heart like a less-than-deadly vice. What else could he ask for, than to see his son alive?

Bruce read the calculations carefully. They didn't quite make sense at first, scribbling about some sort of magical light generated by nothingness, however he soon realised that they were written in code. It was talking about the mysterious superiors and their crazy energy field.

"Just what we know already, Dan. There's something about your bosses on here, but I can't understand any of it unless I have the key. Why do we even care, anyway? Come on – let's get this glass jar off of him!"

Peter smiled; was he really going to be saved? Was this Hell finally over?

Nothing was ever that simple.


	43. Long Overdue

Peter rubbed his face on the glass as the team worked outside of it. They were frantically looking for a switch to release him although they had a feeling there would be none. If their precious alien was ever going to get out, it required that they break the glass and free him manually. The child patted the wall playfully whenever he caught a glimpse of Tony or Bruce, smiling warmly at them in an attempt to make them happier. His beloved billionaire smiled back however he did not stop to talk.

Daniel started to scribble down some notes on the spare clipboards. He wanted a decent time frame where the Avengers could take the alien to a safe place and inform someone higher up of his existence, before Horace became aware of his location. These mysterious scratches (which in reality meant nothing) would ensure that his 'superior' kept himself busy for them.

"Are you ready to come home Pete?" Tony whispered whilst he took a small break, "It's been lonely without you. I've managed to keep the room the way you liked it though, y'know; all your pictures and toys are still there waiting for you to come home. Steve will make you so much to eat that you'll burst."

Peter rubbed his cheek against the glass and, without thinking, the billionaire tried to stroke it gently. The back of his hand brushed against the ice cold surface, making his adorable alien's bottom lip quiver and allow his green eyes to fill with tears. It was cruel to tease him this way, even if it was unintentional.

"Can we hurry this along?" Cynthia asked as she fiddled with the button's wires. She was being so careful not to trip any alarms that her eyes wouldn't even look up at the playboy.

"Excuse me? He hasn't seen Peter in ages – leave him alone for a minute," Bruce growled in reply. The scientist was just as eager to talk to the child, although he was far more concentrated on the task at hand. The way he saw it the sooner it was done, the sooner they could cradle Peter to their chests and leave this place forever.

The lady rolled her eyes but did not pursue the subject. It must've been hard for them to have the child just in their grasp and yet he was still locked away from them; she could not imagine what her actions would be like if that was her child.

Finally, they found a button labelled, 'EMERGENCY.' Fury pointed out how it could set off all manners of alarms and booby-traps however no one was paying attention to the voice of reason right now. As Peter started to get more agitated in his glass cage it became more apparent that they had to release him.

The dark-haired man stepped up from behind the metallic machine to peer at the button. It was large and red, as if it had just jumped off a self-destruct programme and someone thought it would look nicer there. It seemed like one of those switches that could go either way, and there was no good possible outcome no matter what was done.

"Tony! Click it!"

"Don't do it, you idiot! We have to find another way to get him out of there. This will only make sure we can never have him again."

"My friends, let us not argue amongst ourselves! Don't you think that our own Ironman is more than capable of making this decision? Let him decide what he does. It is no longer our choice."

Stark heard all these voices at once, and felt the crushing pressure of responsibility weighing on his shoulders. He could see the innocent soft face of his beloved child, expectant of his rescue, but if he couldn't even make this choice how could he be certain that they would ever keep the boy safe? The billionaire touched the button momentarily before snatching his fingers away. Steve whispered into his ear that he would be doing the right thing no matter what he decided, which caused him to become confused at what they wanted him to do.

Suddenly, a loud voice boomed from behind them. The whole team jumped in fear with the same questions circling in their minds at once – had they been caught? Was everything already over? Had they doomed their sweet baby to an agonising and pointless end? Tony and Steve turned on their heels ready for a fight, only to find that a short man standing there with a smug smile on his face. Daniel quivered slightly at the sight of him.

"Howdy folks!" Said this man as he wandered over to the machines, "Running more tests I see? Well, they're going to have to wait until we sap more energy out of this creature; the bosses contacted me with those express orders. They're getting weaker by the second."

The super soldier felt his fist clench behind his back. This must've been the infamous Horace. The man who had put his son through so much torment and agony, all in the name of superiors that they had never seen before. It was a struggle for Rogers to not leap forward and punch him square in the face, as was it a struggle for Bruce not to wretch at the very sight of him.

"More tests? Don't you think that the last ones were enough, at least for today?" Cynthia asked with her voice laced in indifference, "We might have to make this specimen last longer than we initially planned since we still have no idea what it's capable of. Wouldn't it be better if-"

"Oh, do shut up Cynth. I swear if it weren't for all you girls threatening to go to courts, I would have hired only male scientists," Horace sighed whilst he set down his board and started eyeing up the buttons, "I do not doubt your ability to comprehend these matters my dear, but you have to understand that I do not want your 'maternal' feelings getting in the way of science. Do I make myself clear?"

_Sexist bastard, _Romanoff thought before taking Clint's hand. When would people learn women were just as good as men? Even Steve thought the ideas of the villain were set way too far back in the past.

"Fine, fine, do what you want," the lady replied as she walked out of the room. She didn't want to be anywhere near the arrogant man when he got what he deserved, nor did she want to be on the ship when it started ascending into the sky.

Horace peered at the men in front of him. Aside from the rather shapely woman clutching the hand of one, he couldn't say they looked like much and decided that they must've been the lesser scientists. Why would his superiors bother to hire them? It was obvious his genius could surpass theirs.

Suddenly, a dial was turned. The familiar, ominous rattling began to fill the room like the loudest of thunder storms and Peter collapsed onto the floor of his jail. He kicked at the people in an attempt to back away from the oncoming pain...but as always, he started to scream in horrendous agony and beg for relief. His young mind discarded the thought of Tony and Steve, standing just outside his glass cage and forced to watch their child being tortured, instead only caring about the sheer distress falling on his brain.

Hell had no merit to what he was being put through.

Bruce collapsed onto the floor, as if feeling the child's pain. Fury cried out in a warning although he was already too late – they heard the deep screaming rumbling from the half-man half-monster's chest just before it happened.

Horace was punched by Tony as this chaos was going on. The man fell to the floor with a massive _thud _and Stark felt satisfaction growing in his chest, before he turned towards his slowly transforming friend. He and his boyfriend backed up to the glass jar, trying to protect their innocent child, whom collapsed to the floor in an exhausted heap.

Steve turned towards the child. His voice was weak with fear although he tried to make it sound strong as he urged him to get up. The child raised his head slightly to stare at his beloved soldier, a quivering smile stretching on his innocent face whilst he uttered a cryptic reply;

"I...find...death...here."


	44. I'll Bring you Back

The world seemed to go in slow motion. Hulk smashed every single machine in visible sight, sending various debris flying in the air like some sort of miasmic mist. Peter was lying on the floor unconscious as the team battled their friend for some sense of protection. How would they keep their precious alien safe? The green monster was the strength of twenty men, at least, and he was so infuriated that not even the most soothing of voices could calm his rage.

"Bruce! Try to think!" Screamed Steve whilst he jumped past the thrown machines, "Try to think about us! Look at Peter! Please, for the love of God, just calm down!"

Despite the pleas, his friend could not hear him anymore. Everything they had ever done and had ever been almost seemed to disappear when the man's eyes became green with rage, his skin tinted emerald with raw emotion. Tony was crouched beside his son's cage begging for him to wake up although he soon realised – Peter was completely unconscious. His beautiful child was in horrific danger like this.

Suddenly, Hulk lunged forward and grabbed the billionaire by his throat. Stark felt the world around him melt away as the giant's grip slowly started to tighten, closing all his airways with one iron-like hand. He could hear Steve screaming at the other side for his life...but in that second the playboy felt the most intense fear he ever felt before.

The fear that he would never see his sweet son again. What was cruel than giving a man a purpose in life, just before it was suddenly snatched away? Surely not even the universe was that evil.

"TO-KNEE!" A soft scream was heard above the din of shouting. In the confusion, no one had noticed young Peter awaken and jump up with a sudden energy when he noticed his carer in danger, and when they turned now they saw a truly terrifying sight. The glass jar was misted with condensation whilst it rattled with a new type of power, and from within they could see a fierce glowing light. This couldn't be happening...

The jar imploded. Clear shards flew like daggers in the air although the team did not register when jagged edges dragged across their fragile skin; instead they simply stared in horror as the glowing light flooded into the metallic room. It blinded everyone in a small radius and confused a particularly sensitive squirrel down on the ground.

Peter's eyes shone blood red. His dark hair was dotted with familiar gold flecks and the air around him was near freezing point when he slowly started to step forward. Around his small body everything seemed to hum with an almost incomprehensible power, a raw force that was taking its toll on its young host. Hulk dropped the now-limp Tony from his hands, glaring straight forward at the tiny child that presented in front of him.

The boy's arms stretched up to the sky. A thin blue outline started to form in an egg-shell above his hands and he started to speak in his native tongue; however everyone in the room could suddenly understand what he was saying; his powers were working as if they were a translator, rather than a telekinetic skill. Everyone could suddenly speak his language, if only briefly.

"We try to be good and hide our dark sides behind smiling masks. In all the people we meet, there lives a being like yours," he muttered with his weak voice, "One day, I too shall be faced with this evil that festers inside my very soul, but I doubt he shall be as great as you are. They call you the Hulk – I deny you that right. Give me back Bruce!"

It was an almost inspirational speech despite the childish plea at the end. Peter could understand that this monster was truly the man hidden away inside Banner's psyche, although it seemed he didn't care when he was talking to the beast. He comprehended the fact that 'Other Guy' was simply an effect from a horrible accident.

Hulk smiled before grunting out a harsh reply. It was in the form of a shout so it was not understood by all around them, even though the young alien knew exactly what the monster was saying. With a small smirk on his face, he threw the orb of energy directly at his foe and the room seemed to break apart in its path.

"I warned you creature! I will win back my friend!" His voice was contorted with the power of his people. It was as if thousands of the aliens before him had jumped into his body and, for that brief moment in time, captured his words to mould what he should say. Steve was trying to pull Tony up off the floor whilst this was happening, even though the billionaire weakly protested about their son still being there.

Hulk was hit by the ball, flying backwards like a limp rag doll and smashing several walls in the process. Peter used his abilities to pick up his own body and charged straight through the newly-made holes, a will of iron seemingly forged after seeing Stark put in danger. He cared little for what happened to him now – all that mattered was the team were safe, and that Bruce was yanked away from this monster that held him captive.

Scientists fled from the aircraft when they realised what was going on. Things like books, clipboards, priceless research notes and scientific equipment lay discarded on the ground as they scrambled out of the way. Hulk's massive green figure twisted and manoeuvred through the small exercise room it now found itself in whilst it searched for the 'evil' little boy who threw the energy. Peter was going to be careful; Bruce was still wrapped up in that body, and the last thing on his list was to hurt someone so kind to him.

"Pete!" Tony screamed after the battling heroes, "Pete! No! Don't do that, don't fight! People who are good never search for violence!"

The child heard his friends' desperate pleas. Glancing back to have one final look, he quickly made a snap decision to hold the beast down until his rage settled and Banner returned to them. It cost him all of his energy, but he was able to pull the monster towards him and slowly hold his flailing limps down.

"Be still," he whispered even though no one could understand now, "I promise I shall not harm you."


	45. I can Feel

Peter nuzzled into Tony's chest as he slowly fell asleep. Hulk had disappeared now, replaced by totally naked Bruce Banner, much to the scientist's embarrassment whilst he searched for a spare lab-coat. Clint handed one to him with a smirk on his face; his friend's cheeks flushed a bright scarlet before he wrapped it around himself and attempted to catch his breath. At least an hour had passed since his transformation...he could still feel the monster gently stirring in his psyche.

Steve patted his son's head with affection dancing playfully in his eyes. Too many days had passed, too much time had been lost, and now the super soldier felt the need to capture every moment like it was the last. He almost forgot how beautiful the boy's soft down-like hair and his big green eyes were.

"He's so perfect," his words were out before he could stop them but he was only meant by a few soft words of agreement. The whole team felt the sting of his absence – now it was finally time to bury that business behind them and start moving forward.

The facility seemed eerily quiet as they strolled through it. The long, grey corridors almost looked like they were closing in when they travelled down them, the remnants of brutal experiments scattered around the place as if they were in some sort of ritual. Peter growled slightly whilst the team wandered through unopposed, twisting like he was in pain and causing Tony to quietly console him. How could he still feel danger, even when he rested? What possible foe could be lurking in the shadows for him now? With the facility seemingly defeated, there wasn't any other enemy that could slowly creep up on them...waiting for the right moment to strike...

"Shh, Pete," the billionaire's voice tickled his ear softly, "Don't worry. We'll be out of this place soon, and then we can start a brand new life out in the Tower. You just have to be brave for these last couple of minutes, okay?"

_He seems to be getting more upset, _Bruce thought although he was too weary to act on it. There were plenty of reasons for the child to be frightful as he slept, including natural nightmares, so the researcher chose to believe he was simply suffering from that. A gnawing feeling rose in his gut despite his conviction.

"Where is the exit Fury?"

"We're nearly there, if this place is exactly to code. Strategically placed in case of a...monster-related incident," Nick glanced over at his naked friend before pressing his hand to the wall, "I can't believe they got their hands on this kind of thing. It was supposed to be entirely under-wraps; so secret not even the highest defences knew about it. Your brother was in the same place not long ago Thor."

"Loki was not able to break the glass and gain his freedom. How did our little spaceman manage it?" The God paid extra close attention to detail lately and that fact niggled at him like a poisonous spider. Of course he was thankful – who wouldn't be? – but it still stood that Peter could free himself despite it being set to drop. Was it a malfunction?

"He imploded it." Fury's reply was less than satisfying and, for a moment, his teammate patiently waited for more information. He raised an eyebrow before talking again.

"Elaborate?"

"The glass is re-enforced. If it shattered, then a massive energy was _in front _of it and the world needed to be protected from that. When it imploded it must've shocked the systems, causing a computer-generated decision to go with their program and register like it had never been broken. Technically Peter is still contained."

His explanation brought a smile to Tony's face. What could have gone better? Not only did they have their precious alien, knowledge of his telekinesis and a new-found sense of pride, the computer system was still putting out that he was imprisoned. Surely that would buy them some time to find out more about these extra terrestrial enemies? Surely...

Finally, they came to a single hatch-shaped door. Above it was marked, "EMERGENCY," although this time no one paid any heed to it before cracking it open. Tony already made contact with Pepper as they boarded the aircraft and, despite much grumbling bitterness, she was sending them a jet to come pick them up straight from the flying machine. Hopefully she remembered the special wine glasses this time.

"To-knee," the billionaire turned to see his beloved boy slowly rousing, "To-knee...stop...fight...near..."

"Shh, little one. You're worn out."

"No...must...stay..."

"We can't stay here. I want to get you as far away from this place as possible. Come on, don't you miss the Tower?"

"Danger..."

"There's plenty of danger around here. That's why we're leaving – we're going to go back and fix you up a nice dinner, so you can properly eat for once," Tony meant well, although he was completely missing the point. His concerns only ranged as far as what they were going to make for his precious alien and after that, nothing else needed to be thought about. But Peter could feel yet another shift in the wind for him.

More trouble. Worse trouble.

Was it so much to ask that he was able to rest for a while? The leeching effects of his powers ripped through his small body like a chainsaw, with no heed for whatever happened to its surroundings, and he felt as though there was more need for it than he could handle. He was too young for these responsibilities on his shoulders. But he had already decided what he was going to do – he just hoped that Stark would not be too hurt when it happened.

The door opened to reveal about a few thousand feet of air underneath them. The beautiful Kent landscape moulded grey from where they dangled so precariously, waiting for Tony's jet to make its sudden appearance. It was a question when the mobile facility had started to rise however no one thought about it long enough to care. The child was safe, the battle was dealt with; nothing could destroy such a perfect day.

"Do you think he'll be up to dinner when he gets home?"

"Of course he will, Clint. Poor things probably half-starved."

"I'm just saying that he looks pretty tired. He might want to go to bed first, y'know? Get some rest before he's bombarded with questions."

"Why would we ever ask him questions about this place? Our little spaceman needs to forget about the events here, so I trust that I will not be the only one remaining silent on the matter."

"Not the only one Thor. I'm not talking about it either."

"Me too."

"Maybe we should tell him, one day. When he's old enough to understand."

"He's uncountable centuries old, Clint. Only Thor would be able to tell him 'when he's old enough' and judging by his record of talking, I do not want to be around for that conversation."

"Be silent."

"I would, but then who would hear my amazing wit?"

"The only one who finds them funny?"

"I didn't know everyone was a mind reader."

It seemed like the team had regained its sense of humour upon return of the child. Like a missing cog, when he was brought back they started to grind and gnash together as if they were a well-oiled machine, completely incapable of falling apart. Peter felt a sense of safety in the arms of his heroes.

But this did not stamp out the sense of foreboding.


	46. No Rest

Peter sat in his room, staring out of the window. Soft blue pyjamas brushed his skin like a cotton angel and he could feel the warmth hugging his body closely to its bosom. It was ideal, natural, and safe...but the child could feel no peace. There was something out there still for him – there was something that his beloved team had yet to defeat. Maybe they couldn't defeat it?

Maybe it was all down to him.

The moon raked across the horizon, a glittering orb in the sky shining its light down upon all earth's inhabitants. For a moment Peter gazed at it with affection as his childish mind remembered Tony's story, about how the moon had a man on it who danced and watched over every child that slept. Something about the made-up moon person caused the boy smile before realising that he felt more in-tuned with that story than he did with the people of this world at the moment. These thoughts, feelings; they were so stomach-churning he did not know how to handle them. What could possibly be waiting for him, even now? Even with Horace lying at the facility, broken and bloodied? Surely peace was well-earned for him?

"Pete," he heard a soft voice call through his door, but he did not turn his head. "Pete? Are you in here? Come on bucko, it's time for dinner!"

His carer was being extra attentive since his return. The billionaire did not let him out of his sight for the whole of the jet-ride, and attempted to play with him when they returned although his precious alien was not in the mood for it. Stark put it down to tiredness, possibly even anxiety, before taking the child upstairs to get changed from the dirty torn suit. It only brought back horrible memories.

"Not...hungry..."

"You're joking, right? You probably haven't had a decent meal in ages! Come on," he outstretched his hand, however he found the boy was completely disinterested in it. The thought of food repulsed him at the moment.

"I...feel...scared..."

Tony raised his eyebrows whilst walking over to the alien. He had hoped the memory of the facility would disappear upon return, despite the fact he was educated enough to know it wouldn't. But being scared of a memory? That seemed a tad over the top.

"Scared?" He said whilst sitting on the soft blue carpet beside Peter. It was relatively fluffy, made specially to be soft if he fell over, and provided a lovely seat for anyone trying to talk to the alien, "There's nothing to be scared of. This is the Tower, remember? You were safe here before; nothing nasty can get you when we're all going to take care of you, do you understand?"

Peter sighed before pointing out at the moon. Stark followed his finger and found himself gazing at the silvery rock, admiring its smooth frame like he was marvelling it for the first time. It was always strange, how the child seemed to make the simplest of things...special.

"I...feel...scared. Days...darker...now. Coming...here..." He knew what he wanted to say, and even how he wanted to say it, if only this damn language barrier would kindly remove itself from his speech. His beloved billionaires face etched with slight understanding although they both knew he wouldn't fully comprehend until Peter clearly told him.

"Nobody's coming here, bucko. You're safe with us. You've always been safe in our hands – don't you remember what it was like before? Just imagine that, with tonnes more toys and games and whatever you want; I can guarantee I'll try to make everything you want happen."

Tony was sure his new son would thank him but he found the child turn and continue to stare out the window, as if he was never there at all. He attempted to catch his attention for a few more minutes until reluctantly giving up, moving to the door with a sigh.

"Okay, I'll give you a few more minutes to stay here then. I guess you just need to shake off the experience? Come down when you're ready."

Peter hardly noticed as he turned the handle and walked out of his practically bare bedroom. Too alive was his mind to notice these small details around him, which included the man he loved so dearly. It wasn't anything personal; there was just too much for the child to focus on that his carer could not understand.

He felt like a war was coming for him. He knew his mark on the earth would be putrid, blood-stained, filled with death and destruction that he was powerless to stop, although he desperately wanted to. There were young boys in the universe who didn't have chaos snapping closely at their heels, so why did the team want to keep this one so much? Peter was certain when they realised he would find himself being left in the cold, unforgiving earth, starving hungry and searching for somewhere he could call his home.

"Osmos," the soft voice caressed his ear, "Osmos. You are always safe."

It was delicate, light – a voice the child swore he had heard before however he did not know where. A feeling of completely peace washed over him like a massive comfort blanket, barring all negative aspects of his existence away for those few precious seconds. Did Tony come back in? No...no, it couldn't have been. That voice was female.

Almost mechanically, he got up before leaving the bare room quickly. Something about that voice made him feel more at home here, and he wanted to go see the heroic team who had saved him. The prospect of dinner made his mouth water as well...

Sweet smells of chicken curry guided him down three flights of stairs and straight towards the kitchen. His tiny legs struggled to jump down the steps, threatening to misjudge the leap and drop down the flights like a limp rag doll. He could hear the team's conversation as he drew closer to them.

"When is little man coming down?"

"I went up to talk to him, but he said he wasn't hungry."

"Really? That's weird – he seemed starving when we came back. I was kind of worried he'd spoil his dinner if he saw those new cookies."

"Yeah well he's not. I asked him and he said that he didn't want anything, so stop asking about it."

The billionaire's voice seemed to be irritable when Peter heard it. His little heart was struck with guilt; had he managed to upset him in some way?

"Don't get snappy with us, Tony. We just care about him and we're all glad that he's back."

"Yeah...yeah I know."

Before they could continue their discussion, the child walked through the door in a timid fashion, which was met with a wall of cheers. It was as if he just returned from running a marathon instead of coming downstairs for dinner. Steve swept him up in his massive arms and gave him a warm smile before putting him down in the blue highchair.

Mountains of food sat on the table like a Great Wall of Chicken. He was intimidated by the sheer amount although he felt his mouth water as the scent started to waft up his nose.

"Welcome home, little man."


	47. Fear

Horace slowly wrenched his eyes open. All around him lay destroyed machinery, broken glass and the occasional smashed computer screen, like a strange graveyard of science equipment. The agonising pain of failure hurt more than the sores all over his body.

"Wake up, pathetic earthling," he heard the words although he didn't raise his head, "I received a stress signal from a nearby employee. Where is Daniel Moscow?"

The scientist faintly remembered the name however he couldn't recall the soft face of his 'friend'. It seemed that amnesia had descended over his mind after the great punch from Tony, fuelled by his fatherly rage from Peter's kidnapping.

"Who are you?" He asked when he finally moved his head. The large television screen flickered with a grainy image that looked like a contorted orange, rather than a super-intelligent alien life-form.

"What do you mean who am I?" It screamed, enraged, "You were supposed to keep Osmostinos contained! I told you that little Hell-raiser would break free if you allowed him to! I'll kill you when I get down there, you bastard!"

The extra terrestrial on screen started to smash his little camera. It was a gift from the facility, which he received quite soon after hiring them, although it seemed he had made the wrong choice on who to pay. Horace seemed to be more like a shaven monkey than a highly accomplished researcher.

"Osmostinos?"

"Subject P! Don't you remember, you idiot?! P stood for punishment – I told you to make each test as painful as possible so that he knew never to steal from us again!" He turned back with a scowl on his face. Behind him stood the few remaining members of his race, all portraying the same expression as they registered the news. Osmostinos was a key aspect in their survival, in their fight to become great again, and now it seemed the universe had snatched him away from their fingertips.

They started to speak in a language so vile and gut-wrenching that it caused Horace to shiver where he lay. Each putrid word scraped against human ears, as if attempting to mentally destroy them.

"I told you that we should've killed him," a rounded female alien said, "I said that we should've ripped his head off and fed him to the Great Canci; now we've lost him and it's all your fault."

The Great Canci rumbled quietly in the corner, curled up right beside a large glowing orb humming with a strange power. It was as if the object sucked the life out of the room around it however no one was taking much notice of it, and it provided much needed warmth for the great cat-like creature purring against it. If the animal awoke, it would be yowling as always for food – typically the blood of sweet Peter.

"Look, no one is going to benefit from playing the blame game. We're going to have to go get him back, aren't we, so let's just get behind the steering stick and go to earth; we'll get our poison back."

"And then what?"

"His blood will wash our clothes for at least a week."

Peter woke up with a gasp. Tony's arm was clung tightly around him, trying to protect him from any potential dangers, and his son's sudden jerk caused him to also wake up. The boy's tears ran down his cheeks like giant waterfalls; he remembered that cat-creature from years ago, but he could not fully recall why he was so fearful of it. Just the thought of the Great Canci made shivers race down his spine.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? What is it?!" Stark allowed his voice to rise in pitch although his fatherly senses told him not to. He was supposed to be the calm one...but when his precious alien was in trouble, there was nothing he could do except fall apart. Steve jumped up from the chair beside them – he sprung from the darkness so quickly that he looked like a prowling cat rather than a concerned friend.

"Peter! Come on little man, calm down for me," his soothing purr caused Tony to slowly relax even though the child continued to sob, "What's happened? Did you have a bad dream? There's nothing you need to worry about here, we're going to protect you."

For a moment the sobs seemed to grow worse, until they finally died down and were replaced by soft whimpers. Steve's arms wrapped around him, as if he had turned into a big security blanket, before he rolled over his boyfriend to properly cuddle his son. The genius nuzzled into Peter's soft hair.

"Great...Canci...coming..." his voice was not audible but he felt he needed to warn them in some way. Despite his whimpers they felt he was calming and so discarded the sentence, thinking that it was fear-provoked.

Eventually the child started to settle again. The room was illuminated by the soft silvery glow of the moon which soothed him gently, and with the heroes cradling him to their bodies he felt as if nothing could ever touch him. Though that didn't stop the niggling feeling in his gut...

When they heard his soft snores, the men looked up at each other with smiles on their faces. What was more precious than watching their son sleeping in between them? His soft features brushed against the plump pillows whilst the shadows chased each other on the wall.

"He's not been the same since he came back, you know," Steve mentioned as he stroked Tony's hair into place, "Maybe we should get him to one of those new counsellors, or something."

"New? Hardly; I think you're right though. When this all blows over we'll talk to Fury about one of the SHIELD counsellors."

"Why SHIELD?"

"Oh, y'know, maybe because he's a bloody alien? Honestly Steve, I think you just don't think sometimes," although it was a jibe, there was a large smile on his face. He didn't mean what he said but it was nice to keep up appearances.

They curled up next to each other, both bending their heads to form a protective semi-circle around him, and they finally fell asleep. Just like they had in the old facility. What could be more perfect?

This peaceful time couldn't last forever.


	48. Whomever it May Concern

_Dear whomever it may concern;_

_I would like to formally request that the young alien – origin and true identity unknown – become a citizen of the United States of America. As the only one left of his kind I find that it will be in everyone's best interests to keep him not just safe, but hold his interests in the highest regard. With that in mind I, Anthony Stark, would like the legal right to adopt him into my family and take his care upon my other responsibilities._

_Along with the ordinary jobs that come with a young child, I feel that I will be taking on additional work as Peter's trauma will no doubt show, eventually. We will try to make a suitable environment for him to live in..._

Tony sighed as he dropped his pen. There was plenty he could say or do to express how much he wanted the child kept in his custody; however the effort to make it show on paper was straining. What if they didn't believe him? What if they chose to send him back into space, all alone? He could never let that happen, not to his little angel.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked as he sat on the sofa, "You seem a little bit upset."

Next to him lay their beautiful son, snoozing happily against the super soldier's solid stomach and barking in his slumber. For days his anxieties had been playing up on him which caused not only disorder in his life, but in the team's life as well.

"I'm fine. Just don't worry about me Steve – look after him," the billionaire replied before turning back to his glass desk. The boring black and white words started to model together whilst he tried to write more formal chitchat.

_This environment will ensure that he grows in a stable way. If need be, I shall submit him for painless testing and will prove to anyone that he is not a threat to society, although I will not allow him to be injured in anyway. I am sure that I do not need to remind you how close I am to the SHIELD director, Nicholas Fury, and how strong my influence is over certain parts of the economy._

"Do you really think threatening them is going to do anything?" He looked up to see his boyfriend standing over him, looking down at the boring letter with a disapproving expression on his face. He seemed to be angry at the billionaire for even attempting to flaunt his power over the government.

"There is no harm in making them realise how influential I am," he pointed out whilst scribbling out some unneeded words, "I want as many chances as we can have to get Peter in our legal custody. Isn't that what you want to?"

They both looked over at their sleeping son. It was odd to see the child who had so much going on in his life resting so peacefully, although they felt certain happiness about it. Since his return there was nothing but sadness in his little life – they did not know why he felt like this when he was back home.

"Of course that's what I want. That's what I've wanted since we got him back. I just don't understand why you feel the need to threaten them; it's obvious they're just going to take it offensively and hurt our chances at getting him," the soldier said whilst patting his boyfriend's head, "I find it amazing we have a shot at all. Back when I was a boy there were no gay fathers or mothers, and now two men are trying to get an _alien _in their custody. And we have a chance too!"

Tony had almost forgotten how much this world changed for Steve. When he was a scrawny lad in the 1940's things must have been abysmal but he seemed to remember everything so fondly. The old gadgets, the old women, the old culture – it was as if he missed how America used to be sometimes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. America used to be narrow-minded and stupid, tell me something I don't know," it wasn't something that Tony believed but his mind was on bigger things now. He could not be worrying about the state of the country when Steve was younger, and he did not care about changing any politics now.

The super soldier rolled his eyes before going back to Peter. Like a caring father he slowly picked him up, hushing him as he took him upstairs to bed. His beloved billionaire sighed as he wrote more down.

_Since this is a rough draft, I'm just saying what I feel. I love this kid so much, and I don't want to lose him again. I've done that one too many times – you don't know pain until you've lost one of the most important people in your life. I just don't know how to say 'formally' that my heart will rip out of my chest and destroy me if I am not granted custody._

_So, sue me! I want to be a father to him. I want to make a difference to his life and, after what he's been through, I'm sure many other people would agree with me! He needs a proper father, a proper home, a proper family. I have all three of those things on tap. What else could you possibly ask me to provide for him? Toys? I'll buy a thousand! Money? I'll give him it by the bucket load if that's what it takes! Love? He's going to have all the love in the world!_

_Things are always going to be difficult. They always are when a kid's involved, let alone an alien who's been through more than we can even understand. But I can promise that we're going to face it all together, like a team. Like a family. A big-ass, super-powered family that probably has more problems than your typical all-American group of people...but still a family who deserve a chance._

_Give us a chance. Give Peter a chance. Please._


	49. Talk to Me

Peter stared out of the large arch window. Around him, the skies were thick with ash black clouds and bullet-like rain fired down in a deadly shower. The weather matched his mood exactly – there was nothing he wanted more than for the sweet kiss of death to clutch his soul. Tony and Steve were starting to fret about their son's upset mood all the time, and had asked Fury to arrange for a special counsellor to come in about it. This took no more than a few days; soon enough, the child was sitting in a small room by himself, waiting for a man that his beloved carers were so excited about. When would they learn? When it was all too late? The alien was not going to like the coming weeks.

"Hello little one," the voice was soft and silky like a velvet scarf, but Peter did not bother to turn, "My name is David. I'm going to be the person you can talk to for the next few weeks. I'm very excited to meet you."

He was a young man, with glittering blue eyes and a neatly cropped brown goatee not unlike Tonys. It looked ridiculous, because he dyed his hair a vibrant blonde and wore a flashy black suit, as if trying to prove that he was something special in this abysmally ordinary world. The child glanced behind him to see although he immediately went back to watching the people outside.

"You don't want to talk at the moment? That's okay. I can just sit here with you, if you want. It's a lovely view around here, isn't it?" The man said whilst he set up a lovely colouring book. Peter could hear the soft rustling of paper against a glass surface when he set it down lightly.

"Go."

"Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you, I wouldn't ever dream of it. Why don't you tell me about living in the Tower? I bet it's exciting to have the Avengers as friends!"

David wanted to play on the boy's ego, even though he had met the heroes many times before. He was almost certain that he was going to perk up a bit, so he was extremely surprised when the child simply shrugged his shoulders and continued to stare at the ant-people. It was interesting to see countless people milling about, going through their days like they normally would however this time with an audience. Maybe they would find something interesting to buy? Maybe they would get a new job? Maybe their debts would pile up until they couldn't take it anymore, and ran out into the streets screaming bloody fury before they were locked up forever...

It was fun to think 'maybe.'

"Do you colour Peter?"

He turned, shaking his head whilst he took the small cushy seat directly in front of David. With a grimace the child looked at the colourless, well-shaped lines of the book on the table.

"Have you ever tried it?" Again, he shook his head. "Well then, maybe we should take up colouring together. I've got this lovely little book here. I think you'd like it, if you gave it a go."

"Can't...talk."

"Your daddies mentioned that. They said I might get meet some barriers, but don't you worry Peter. I'm very good at understanding."

"Not...daddies."

"Not daddies? Do you mean that they don't understand what you mean? I know what it seems like sometimes little one – your daddies love you very much; that's why they've got me to talk to you."

Peter suddenly jumped up and, whilst thrusting his soft face straight into the man's, he hissed in a low voice, "Not...daddies. I...come...from...there." and pointed to the sky in an attempt to make him understand. They _had_ told him to talk.

"You come from...Heaven?"

"Stupid."

He sat back in his seat, defeated. There was no way he would ever be able to talk to this man, let alone tell him the deepest innermost thoughts hidden away in his mind. If anything, he would have to suffer this fool until Tony realised things were not working out.

The rest of the session went much the same way. David attempted to talk him out of his shell, trying to coax him with fun activities and enjoyable games, but he found a wall of resistance whenever he attempted anything. Peter would simply shake his head before continuing to stare into his eyes, so deeply he thought his brain was about to explode.

"We're about to reach the end of our time," the wonderful announcement was like music to his ears, "Is there anything you would like to tell me before I go? Maybe you'd like to ask me to bring a special treat for next time? Remember, I can't tell your daddies anything, so you can have anything you want!"

Peter thought carefully before replying, "Go...now...don't...come..."

David gave him a sad look as he started to pack everything up and leave the room. There was nothing he could think to say except for a passing farewell, and he wondered to himself what trouble the child had been through to be so...different from other cases. He didn't react to anything.

"How was it? Did he say anything? I know you can't tell me if it's important," Steve ran up to him almost as soon as he came into the sitting room. Fury was drinking a scotch with Tony on the leather sofas, and looked up when they noticed the man.

"Is my son alright?" The billionaire asked whilst taking another small sip of scotch.

"He's...fine. He seems alright, perfect in his own little way. But there must have been something wrong, because he just stared at me for a while until I left," he explained, "I think it'll take a bit of time to crack into his little shell. Don't worry though – I'll keep at it until he trusts me a bit more."

As the men started to converse, Peter listened in with a grimace playing on his face. Did no one want to pay attention to him? He was fine, couldn't be better! There was just this horrible, near-indescribable fear weighing down in his chest like a stone.

And the killers were getting closer.


	50. Fatherly Regret

Peter awoke in the sitting room, wrapped in Tony's arms and staring at Thor's sleeping face. In front of him was a monopoly board and a few messy piles of fake money, although the small red and green houses were scattered about the floor like some sort of cheap defence system. He shook his head slightly to rid himself of the haze that was sleep, trying to wake himself up so he could realise where he was.

The last thing he remembered was Steve's nagging voice telling them to go to bed. Tony had replied that they were immediately going to bed after the game; however it seemed that the super soldier was sleeping before they were even halfway through. When did they finally pass out? Lines of juice cartoons and a few cans of beer sat beside him on the glass table, as if they had been having the saddest party in the world, and he spied the large Styrofoam cup that Thor drank most of his beverages out of. The child pushed his carer's arm away before scrambling onto the floor.

His soft hands started to clear up the toy houses whilst the men around him snored softly. The piles of money were neatly ordered, set up in their own little categories, whereas the board was flung to the side of the room like it was no longer important to the game. He simply wanted to build a new world now, without the need for lines and rules.

The hotels became great skyscrapers, surrounded by tiny houses that he had painted gold and red, flanked on every side by a bustling little community with great mansions and picket signs. It was things that the child saw off the television whenever Tony was watching it, coupled with a few cartoons that they forced him to watch now and again. They were lucky he did not make harsh judgements from what he saw on the telly.

"Hm? Pete? What're you doing up little guy? It's six AM!" The billionaire roused himself from the sofa, "You must be hungry. Why didn't you wake me up? Come on we'll—Oh my god! Look at this mess! You've painted all the carpet! Do you know how much effort it takes to get those stains out?"

Peter was unused to the rebuke, which was why he burst out crying. He was not scared of the billionaire, quite the opposite, but it seemed that Stark did not care either way; things were becoming more stressful in the Tower, with the child's odd cryptic moods and his general care.

"When I tell Steve, he's going to go mad. Come on Peter – you're too smart to be doing things like this, you know you're too smart. I don't want you to play with the paints in here again, do you understand me? Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"

"Shut...up."

"Pardon me?!"

"Killers...coming. I...hate...you."

"...Don't you ever say that to me again. Don't you dare ever say that again, after all I've done for you! Some kids would be grateful for what I've done but oh no, you've just got to be nasty about it! Bed time...NOW!"

Peter rushed out of the room, making a point to knock over the pot of paint so it could spread all over the floor. What was the point in being loved by someone if he never listened to you? Why had he even bothered saving the child, if he planned to never hear his words? Why did he have to exist?

Tony shouted after him. He was immediately sorry for what he said, only realising the damage after it had been done, however his precious alien was already gone. The child was crying his little eyes out in search of Steve rather than bed; he was simply trying to get away from his 'father.'

"Peter! I'm sorry!" He shouted up the stairs, "Come on! I'm sorry!" Thor stayed asleep through all of this; he even turned to face the wall instead of getting involved with the fight. Peter called down in reply.

"Killers...coming. Kill...me...then...you. I'm...happy."

When would this madness end?


	51. Gone Again

Peter was sitting in the limo when it happened. Rumbling along the road at a slow speed, the child spent his time playing with his expensive toys and paid no attention to Tony, who was on the phone to his latest client. The billionaire kept glancing over at the boy, though he did not deter from his conversation. What could he say anyway? After the morning before, he was lucky that Peter had not completely refused to be in his company. He could not risk making him any angrier.

Suddenly, the limo came to an abrupt stop. Peter felt the seatbelt cut into his chest, almost strangling him as his carer shouted obscenities, and he looked up to see the driver had slammed his foot down on the break. The child unbuckled the sleek strip of leather before rushing over to his carer.

"What in the bloody Hell do you think you're doing?" Tony asked as he wrapped the alien in his arms, "Do you know you could've killed us?! Peter is in the car too, you moron! I swear to God I'm going to have your job for this!"

His anger was only a front; in truth he was just thankful that the precious little child in his arms was safe. A feeling of complete shock was descending over him and causing him to lash out at who he saw responsible, although the driver was completely still. A white, ghost-like shade covered his face whilst his hands started shaking off of the wheel and up to his terrified face. Even his teeth were chattering.

"Sir...I think you should t-t-t-take a look at this."

Tony scrambled over to the tiny window, looking out of it with wonderment dancing on his features. He turned into a shivering nervous wreck before turning to his little son and clutching him in his arms.

"Pete, we've got to get moving. Try not to look behind me, okay? I swear to you that I'll keep you safe – I promise you that you won't get lost again. Just keep looking at me."

The warning fell on deaf ears however, because as soon as Tony clambered out of his vehicle and set off for a brisk pace down the road clutching his child, Peter was looking straight for the thing that caused so much fear. People around them were screaming and flooding the streets like a river bank had just broken, but the child did not care to look at them. It was what he had feared for the past few weeks.

The sky's thick layer of clouds gave birth to a strange lightning storm, which stretched for at least a mile over the horizon. From it came a whirring sound, louder than anything that the earthlings ever heard before, and Peter felt Tony's hands digging into his back. His pace was getting faster with each long stride.

"What...is-"

"Damn it Pete, I said don't look! Can you please just listen to me this once?!" The billionaire shouted although he did not blame his son. He wanted to keep the boy's remaining, precious innocence intact, whereas the alien was simply praying that this was not what he thought. It couldn't be, not now...

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crashed down to the ground like a forked Demon. It caused the street to throw up shards of concrete and scatter them on the now-stilled cars, before Tony finally turned and clutched Peter's face down into his brown coat's shoulder. His goatee tickled the alien's head whilst he did this, making him giggle even though the world around him was thrown into such chaos. There was nothing now – no light, no peace, no silence – only the lightning storm existed in this insanity.

"To-knee," he stammered through his fear, "To-knee...must...let...go. Free..." His words were laboured, rushed, but the message rang clear despite its struggled vessel. He wanted to be released from Tony's protection. For a moment the billionaire wondered if he was still angry, and the fury was making him say this now, although he soon realised what the child was truly saying.

"I can't let you go Pete. I might lose you again. You see all these people? You might get lost in this, you might get trampled or crushed; you're so small..." Whilst he said this he set another brisk pace down the maddening street. The grey concrete roads turned into rivers of people, baskets of noises, but the genius knew exactly where he was heading. These poor citizens had no idea what to do next – where were their precious heroes right now? One was trying to save his own child, before he could even think of anyone else's.

Another bolt screeched down to earth and smashed its electrified whip over the hard concrete back. It caused everyone to jump, momentarily disabling them from movement and giving the attackers a moment to send out a strained, nasally message.

"Foolish spacemen," the voice screamed above the noise of chaos; it silenced everyone who fled on the ground, "You hide a criminal and run from the saviours. Hand over the child, a fair-haired Devil that smiles despite its evil, and we shall permit your pathetic little planet to live."

It was a wide-ranging command. Some men instantly flew towards every child available, holding them up to the sky like an offering to Gods, but Tony kept his arm around Peter as a protective shield. There was no way he could ever give up the only thing that had meant anything to him.

Peter, however, was already gone from this world. His eyes turned that familiar shade of blood red whilst the air around him chilled and froze the ground underneath them, as if a sudden coldness was clutching his beloved billionaire's soul. Stark whispered to his child, a plea to stop this madness, although his precious son was gone now and had left the ever-powerful Osmostinos. The alien had awoken.

The child was asleep.

"Don't do this Pete. They're looking for you, whoever they are; don't let yourself be found. I love you," the genius whispered. Peter flinched before his carer felt his arms being pried open, like some supernatural force was pulling his gemstone away.

For a second, everything went in slow motion. The boy's body slowly lifted itself up to the sky, as Osmostinos was using his powers to make himself fly. His hair was inflicted with those gold flecks, as if a plague had descended upon him, and the people down below could see nothing but him. Nothing sounded, except inane laughter.

"Ah! And there he is – the thief himself! Do you wish us to take you alive, or kill you instead?"

The child replied in his own language, "Silence, killers! I have felt your presence, even when you were not here, so you are nothing but a mere expected annoyance for me. Take me, alive. I'm sure that you will feel much better eating a live innocent."

With that, Peter disappeared. The lightning storm became smaller; suddenly decreasing in size like the capture of the child was all it wanted, whilst the people underneath them cheered in glee. They were safe! They were all safe, alive and well, with no one losing anything important.

However, Tony just stood there, a frown stretching on his lips in addition to tears building up in his chocolate brown eyes. Had that really just happened? He thought the facility was done, over with – their child was supposed to be safe from harm now, without need to look over his shoulder and wonder when he was going to be captured again. Peter needed to come back. Tony needed Peter to come back.

What would the team do now?


	52. Great Coffins

Peter found himself lying in a large, spacious coffin. It was decorated like a traditional funeral carrier, maybe even respectable if it weren't made out of splintered wood, although he found claustrophobia clutching at his little soul. It was dark in here, empty except for himself, and he could not make sense of the noises he heard scratching around outside. Like a quivering child, he hunched his legs underneath him before clutching them tightly to his chest, wishing that he had never left Tony's safe arms. The billionaire was probably furious at him.

"What shall we do with the bastard's body?" He heard a contorted voice growling just outside of his coffin. It reminded him of a broken telephone, which he heard when Steve dropped his mobile in a glass of water not long ago; however he didn't want to peek outside to see what it was. There must have been that disgusting alien who ordered his capture, not lingering far enough away from him.

"Feed it to Canci," came a giddy reply, "After the extraction is done, I don't think we're all going to care much where his body goes, do you? It'll feel so good to finally have our powers back!" This voice seemed to be more excited than anything else. There were hints of worry laced within it, however, as if it belonged to a person that could not believe what they were doing. Maybe he was in safe hands after all? Maybe one of the aliens would come to their senses and stop this madness; allow him to go home and be with his family again?

He had a better chance of becoming a duck.

"I guess we don't. But wouldn't it be better to keep him alive, just in case we lose the powers again?" this voice seemed smaller, innocent in its way, "If we kept Osmostinos alive, then we could probably extract more and more out of him until we are sure that the effects are permanent. We could even sell the powers-"

Instant silence suddenly fell. Peter wondered if he should go to check if there was a clear path out of this place, and hoped for a moment there was some way he could go back to his family, although soon he heard the shuffling of great bulk. It was just beyond his resting place, tapering on the rim of the slightly cracked surface and blocking out the softly filtered light.

The child could hear growling as this happened. It was soft at first, as timid as a cat looking for its milk, though soon it became louder until it filled the whole place with a sharp yowl. Peter knew about the Great Canci, in a thin ray of memory that he clutched onto like precious love, and he found himself trembling greatly whilst it sniffed along the outside of his coffin. Why did he have to be here? Why not some other person, a person who had never done anything unless it benefitted them? Or a person that killed and maimed for the sheer joy of it? He was but a child – there was nothing he had done, willingly, that could have harmed anyone in some way.

"Enough Canci; not yet my pet," a chill fell in the air when this voice spoke, its cracked sound scratching against the child's ears, "After the thing has been killed via extraction, then you can have his bloody broken body. And we can feed you so much after that with our new powers, that you'll never have an empty belly again."

Peter nuzzled hopelessly into the hard wall. Splinters scratched against his face and cut his cheek like a sharp knife; however the alien found it hard to care when his heart felt as if it were breaking. It seemed unfair, that not long ago he had been doted over by his 'fathers' and treated like an average member of society (if not, extraordinary) yet now he laid waiting for his imminent death. Tony was probably searching for him now, or maybe he was lying back at home weeping? He could not even think about a second rescue attempt, after they already went through so much trouble on the first.

Suddenly, a soft voice whispered against his ear. It was inaudible at first, its gentle lull simply sent to calm his nerves, although it soon became louder until he could at least make out some words. Somehow it was familiar, he had heard it before, and he couldn't remember where he was graced with the soft music.

"Don't worry, special baby," it whispered, "We'll save you. Tony will save you. The team will save you."

"When?" he replied in his own language, albeit with a very shaken and terrified voice.

A small chuckle sounded before a comforting reply, "Soon enough. Be patient, special baby – there will be no blood."

If only he could trust those words.


	53. We'll Find You

Tony was crying into Steve's shoulder. The team around them sat in silence, unsure of how to take the news, although a few had sparkling tears in their eyes. It had only been a while since they had little Peter back home, tucked away safely in their arms where no one would hurt him again. What sort of madman would try to steal him away?

"That's our son," Steve muttered to his boyfriend, "That's our boy, and we're going to do everything to get him back. Do we all understand?" It was for reassurance more than anything. He wanted to be sure the Avengers were behind him for another rescue mission, despite the fact they had no idea where their precious alien was. As far as he could tell these things wanted to kill him; it was a ludicrous assumption to think they would have kept him anywhere near Earth.

Suddenly, Tony's head lifted. A look of pure determination descended on his features, making him look like the usual genius and not the fatherly mess they were more accustomed to seeing, and he pointed at Bruce with one long finger. There was an idea formulating in his advanced mind, one that was sure to save their sweet angel.

"The aliens will be too weak to travel. We've got to look for electronic disturbances again." His words were so strong that, for a second, the researcher simply smiled at the sound of them.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to hear reports, on everywhere from here to Africa. I want to know what's wrong for them and what's not – that's the only way we're gonna find out where Pete is," as he spoke he rose from his place, leaving the table to pull in a large whiteboard. It had previously been bought to teach the alien physics, but this seemed like a more apt usage of its existence now, "My theory is that, wherever my boy is, everything around there is going to short out."

"That's only if his pod is on board too," Fury pointed out carefully, so he did not offend his maniac friend too much. It was obvious that his love for Peter was making him more irrational than usual.

"Exactly. When we went onto the facility, there was no pod to be found. I think that it's following him somehow, somewhere we can't see; Bruce, do you remember seeing it when we were first experimenting on the little guy?"

The researcher suddenly stared at him with wide eyes. He was right! The pod had not been seen since their first encounter with Peter! Where was the strange metallic vessel, if it was not scrapped somewhere on the wreckage of the old facility? Surely it would be with their son? Tony might have been on to something with his theory!

"Damn it, I think you might actually be right!"

"I'm always right, Bruce. If we just analyse the details, find out where the most electrical short circuits are happening, then we have a clear shot at getting our boy back. If we're really quick about it, we could get him home in time for a bath and dinner." It was some humour, although they did not feel like laughing. Some chuckled half-heartedly whilst Bruce started to scribble on the whiteboard, and Thor clapped his hands in a triumph that hadn't even happened yet. He was always so determined that with their combined might, any foe they faced was nothing but a pathetic mewling child.

And so they began to plan. Great constructs of an idea formulated on the whiteboard, slowly filling it up until they were fighting for space amongst the equations, and smiles spread on the team whenever they saw it. For the next few days it was nothing but solid development and research for the whole team, even Thor who took time to learn how to log onto computers. It was mainly because Steve wanted him to feel involved in the plans, even though he was simply looking at regional information for radio transmissions.

Tony was aware of the time passing. His idea that the aliens were too weak to travel was sound, but that did not mean they were not hurting Peter right now. What happened if he did not make it in time? What if they got bored of tormenting him? What if they killed him...?

It became a normal thing to see the whiteboard. Eventually there had to be a second one put on, complete with brand new marker pens and the only picture of Peter they had available. Seeing his confused little face every day only encouraged the team to locate him again.

And finally, a breakthrough.

"I'VE DONE IT!" The scream woke everyone in the Tower up, "I'VE FOUND OUT WHERE HE IS!" Bruce was hoping around like a headless chicken, throwing useless pieces of paper in the air as if it were strange confetti. He was so happy to finally have the location, and he could hardly contain himself as a pyjama-clad Tony started asking thousands of questions. It was a long time until he finally asked the important one.

"So...where is my boy?"

The genius smiled before replying, "We're going to Lithuania."


	54. Plane Journey

The plane journey was tense. Tony spent most of it sipping on a strong brandy and gazing out of one rain-splattered window, thinking about his beloved angel. He hoped that at least dinner would be given to him. It didn't bear to cross his mind that they were starving the child he loved so much.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked from where he sat, just across from his boyfriend. There was a comforting expression playing on his chiselled features, although Tony knew he was also fighting the urge to shout in frustration. They both loved Peter, to an extent they thought impossible, and they were keen to have the child returned to their arms. Only the Avengers could provide him with the safety he deserved.

"'Course I'm okay," the billionaire replied as he manufactured a smile, "Never better. We'll see Pete soon, kick some alien's ass, and be home in time for dinner." The humour was alive in his voice but his spirit was not. A glazed look of excruciating pain danced in his chocolate brown eyes; the evidence for his affection was undeniable, just like the evidence for his need to have the boy back. Peter's one picture sat beside him on the tiny little table, right beside his brandy glass, in a frame decorated with glittering diamond studs. Steve had sighed when his boyfriend first bought it – there was no need for real jewels in a picture frame.

Before Tony could think he had gotten away with his lie, Steve leaned forward and stroked his hand. In a little voice he whispered, "It's going to be okay, you know." Such menial words to give, but the meaning gripped the genius' heart like a vice. He wanted to have some sort of reassurance, some little ray of hope to tell him he would see his angel again, although if it was from someone other than Steve he didn't think it would mean the same. They smiled at each other warmly.

"I just want to see him again. Every night since we lost him, I've been cuddling my pillow and waiting for him to come back to my dreams. Something, anything, but just a sign that Pete is out there somewhere, waiting for us," he sighed before swigging his drink again, "I don't think I can take it if he's...if we're...too late..."

"Hey, we won't be too late," Steve had a stern voice, however it was laced by a certain care, "Peter will be okay, and so will we. Think about it like this; after we get rid of these scumbag aliens, then we're going to have our little boy all to ourselves. There won't be any more fighting, no more kidnapping, and Peter won't have to wonder when he's next going to be snatched up!"

"I know Steve. But what if-"

"No what if's. Maybe when we get back, I can finally teach him some baseball," it had been a dream for the super soldier to teach a child the sport. An idea of how close he could become to another person, just through a few games of running around and throwing a little ball back and forth, kept him up at night sometimes with its ideal. Maybe Peter's first homerun would be because of him? If Tony wasn't already certain their blushing alien was going to be the next Nobel Prize winner, rather than a 'stupid sports player'.

"Sure, of course you will. Right after I teach him about Kinetic theory, in detail," Tony retorted although a faint smile showed he was simply poking fun, "And I swear to God, if you by him anything like a dog or a cat, I will make you regret the day you were born."

The billionaire didn't like the idea of an animal running lose in the Tower, like a wild cyclone hell-bent on destroying everything expensive; however if his Peter had asked for it, the child would probably receive a whole menagerie. Steve felt another smile play on his lips, since he thought about secretly buying a pet beforehand.

"You lover boys alright?" Bruce suddenly swung into the scene holding a cold can of larger, "I couldn't sleep, knowing that he's out there where we can't have him." The scientist found it difficult to rest up as the thought of the alien danced in his mind, as if it were a practising ballerina.

"Well then, join the club. No one at this table can sleep either."

"If that is the truth, friends, then I would like to join you!" There was another voice now, deeper than Bruce's although laced with acute exhaustion. It obviously belonged to Thor, who seconds later plonked himself down in a seat next to the dark-eyed genius.

They were all connected at that moment. Like the national grid, little bonds attached them together, as they all thought about the boy they were risking everything for. All of their missed work, all of the failed experiments, all of the sleepless nights – all of it didn't matter, so long as they had little Peter in their arms at the end of the day. For once, Tony felt as if there was something in his family that made him happy.

The thought of his captive son almost left his mind.


	55. Heaven in Dreams

Peter was sitting in his coffin, with the hopes that his captors would start speaking soon. The absence of talking, of general sound, was starting to wear down on his advanced mind and he wanted to hear someone's voice. Even if it came from the future killers.

Tony must've been mad at him. Weeks had passed, in addition to hundreds of extraction sessions, and there was no sign of a rescue coming anytime soon. Was the billionaire punishing him for getting lost again? Maybe it was all his fault...maybe he wasn't worth the hassle of saving...

He was starting to dream about them now. Images would flash in his mind now and then, of the Tower and his family, in which the Avengers sat around in happy circles and played with him for hours on end. There were no extraction sessions or pain – there was simply love, that circulated around his unusual home in a manner most pure. What he wouldn't give for a taste of that; just five minutes living with his beloved team was enough to quell his thirst forever. There must have been some way he could contact them again.

"Special baby, close your eyes," for God's sake, that voice again, "Close your eyes for me, and dream once more. I am going to make things better for you, with the ever wavering strands of my power, but you have to be asleep for it to work. Do you promise me that you will sleep?"

"I would promise, if I could see you. You're hidden to my eyes!" Peter screamed in reply, although it was only answered by a loud thump on his coffin walls. The thin rays of light became blocked at the sides of the lid, before a loud voice barked at him to stay silent. It threatened him with pain, pure agony – generally things he was used to by this point. Without any reason to stay awake the alien put his head down on the hardest part of his coffin, allowing his eyes to shut despite the Voice of Reason telling him to keep them open. Maybe the voice wanted him to have another lovely dream about Tony? That was the only place he was truly happy, gripped in the arms of the only man to show him any affection.

"_Hush, my Osmos, please don't fear me_," a song started to play in his ears, "_I will make you, and the others see. You're my baby, my child and son, so please don't let's run, for I will make you, see what I do. Close your eyes, whisper his name, and I swear to you, that you'll see him again." _It was such a beautiful, silken song that Peter felt tears pricking in his eyes. Whoever this voice belonged to, and whatever affiliation they had with him, he was glad for the lullaby to softly send him to sleep. The dark abyss of rest gripped his small body just as the voice sang, "_For a moment you'll be, in the great arms of he. He'll save my baby, then just maybe, you'll find a place where you belong." _

Peter fell asleep with a smile on his face. There was nothing in front of him, no coffin nor pain, except for a slight tingling running through his soft little body. Was this death? It felt funny, rather than painful or fearful. For a moment he pondered on making his peace with the universe, until he heard a second voice enter his mind. This one was frantic, confused; the familiar speech of Tony echoed in his head before he found himself lying on cool grassy ground.

"Where am I? Steve? Are you there? Bruce? Thor? Come on you guys, where are you? Is this about me eating the last hot pocket? If it is, I can tell you that it was the most delicious hot pocket I've ever had."

Peter looked up to see Tony standing in front of him, albeit turned away and frantically searching the strange twisted plants ahead. He sounded as if he had just been with the team when he was brought to this place.

"To-knee!" The billionaire turned, confused, before a pure unmatched love flooded his eyes and he ran to his angel with his arms outstretched. Suddenly the team didn't matter; it was only his son now.

"Pete! Oh God I've missed you!" He cried as he swept the child in the air, "I've missed you so much! Have you eaten? Are you hurt? Damn it, I hate these dreams, when I can't wake up to you at home!" Osmostinos suddenly felt like he was on the spot, whilst the sparkling blue tears built up in his green eyes. Tony changed his tone almost instantly, taking on a more fatherly role as he cuddled the two year old to his chest.

"I...am...here."

"I know you're here, son. I love you so much."

"No! I...am...here!" his teeth gritted whilst the words struggled to escape the confines of his lips, "I...am...here! Front...you!" The billionaire's eyebrows rose although he got the general gist of what his baby was trying to say. A sudden realisation flooded his eyes, before he threw the child in the air and shouted in joy.

"It's really you! I'm...I've got you back! Oh, damn it, where are you Pete? Where are you, so Daddy and I can come get you? Are the people hurting you?"

Peter stroked Tony's chiselled features with no way to reply, until the voice seemed to speak for him, "My baby is in a coffin. Search for the broken castle. I don't want to see my child die, Anthony Stark."

The genius knew what that meant. He was running out of time. Peter was going to be killed if he and his team didn't get there, which meant he would never be able to see the beautiful alien again. Did he have to wake up now, so he could be alert for their arrival? He didn't want to leave the child again, not before he had a chance to truly bask in his presence. He heard a soft whisper in his ear as he pondered on his choices.

"I was his father once. Now it falls to you. Please, spend some time with Osmostinos – there may not be a chance when you reach him."

Tony smiled, cuddling Peter to his chest in a fatherly fashion. The child breathed in the familiar scent of expensive cologne and whiskey whilst he nuzzled into the solid torso. This was their vision of Heaven.

There was nothing better than Tony's arms.


	56. Believe Me

Tony awoke to a plane jostling around him. It was an abrupt way to wake up, especially from the best dream he had had in weeks, although the genius was more concerned about his son. Had he even said goodbye before he left? Was Peter still waiting in that dream land, for Stark to somehow return? He hoped silently to himself that whatever magical thing brought them together had gently led the child away. Although, saying that, he did not want Peter to wake back up with those monsters.

A tear ran down his cheek. They were almost at Lithuania, so close to his precious alien, though so far that he couldn't bear to waste another minute waiting. Didn't this thing go any faster? For how much money it cost him, he had hoped that the maximum speed was not this granny-pace. Otherwise, a Private Jet company was going to find a rather bad interview directed specifically at them...

The genius took a look around. Bruce, Thor and Steve were lying in their seats, eyes shut to be oblivious to the world, and he felt a small smile stretching across his face as he gazed at them. Maybe life wasn't so bad like this? Sure, it would be better if little Peter was wrapped up in bed, but these peaceful times reminded him of childhood. Sitting alone in his room, building strange new gadgets and wonderfully weird tools, whilst the servants milled about outside and catered to his every wish – it was a glorious thing to think about. But now, as he reminisced about those times, the billionaire remembered all of the bad things that came with it. The crushing loneliness, so strong it could compress an elephant to an ice cube, and the strange feeling of annoyance whenever he looked at the many portraits of his father. Tony knew only one thing about those times, one thing for certain about his childhood.

He didn't want Peter to have the same one.

"Hm? Tony? Why are you awake? We're not going to be in Lithuania for—hey, wait a minute. Are you crying?" Bruce's voice quickly changed from sleepy to worried. The scientist had become roused after the turbulence and, although he wanted to doze straight off back to sleep, he had sensed his friend was awake. It would've been rude of him to just fall back into rest, without even checking to see if Tony was alright. No matter how much of an arse he could be.

"What? Yeah, yeah; I'm fine, really. Just...just thinking, I guess," Stark's reply was not as nonchalant as he wanted it to be. The casual tone was non-existent, replaced instead by one of denial, which his fellow researcher was quick to pick up on. With great effort, Bruce swung his long legs down to the floor, before gazing deeply into Tony's chocolate brown eyes.

"You can't brush me off that easily. You may be a complete bastard most of the time, but you're still our complete bastard. What's up?" The light, humorous beat in his voice caused the billionaire to smile; however it quickly dropped back to a frown again.

"I had a dream."

"So? Everyone has dreams."

"No, idiot – I had a dream about Pete. But, it wasn't just about him. I think he was actually _in _my mind, if you get what I mean. Like, he was there, but not in his physical form."

Bruce raised an eyebrow as he said, "Okay...how much did you say you had to drink today?" His friend rolled his large eyes, exasperated that the researcher would not take him seriously, until he found another nerve that he could work on.

"It wasn't the drink. This was him. I could feel it, in my heart. It sounds stupid I know, it's ridiculous and impossible – I don't even believe in magical universal energy for Christ's sake! – but I could feel him there. When I hugged him...it was just something familiar...something I've done before..."

Banner was wondering if his teammate had gone mad. Recently he was more open to alternative ideas, including the existence of cosmic life-energy, although this was just too much. Anthony Stark? Talking about a child magically appearing in his dream, actually being there inside it? Was there a gas leak that just wasn't affecting him?

"Don't look at me like that, Brucey. I know what it sounds like, I really do, but I swear to you I haven't gone crazy. If I had gone crazy, don't you think I would've complimented you on your scientific findings yet? Exactly; I'm as sane as anything, and Peter still came to me in my head. What do you think it means?"

The researcher snorted before falling back in his seat. It was usual for the billionaire to make a jab at him, even when he was the only one showing affection, however it gave him the evidence he needed to make a conclusion. Tony was sane. He was just a bastard.

"I think it means that you're getting worked up, like we all are," the answer was not one Stark wanted to hear, but he let his glass-equipped friend carry on, "I think it means that when we get Peter back, you need to see a therapist or something. There must be a problem in that over-sized dome you call a head, that doesn't present itself as insanity. But, saying that, I suppose our lives haven't been the most usual, have they?"

The statement was true. What with their unofficial adoption of an alien and the apparent duty they still possessed towards earth's population, it was hardly ethical to say their lives were normal. In fact, they were probably anything but.

"You're right," Stark sighed as he gazed out of his window. Clouds rushed past in wispy clumps, almost waving at him as they whizzed by, however he did not care to pay much attention to their strange beauty. He was too pre-occupied.

"I'm always right."

He smiled before saying, "Yeah, you wish."


	57. Arrival In Hell

Arriving in Lithuania was no celebration. The team were quick to find fault with the land, even though it was beautiful and the people were friendly, but they could hardly be blamed as the images of their beloved alien remained strong. What if they weren't here? What if their calculations had been incorrect? If Bruce was wrong, and Tony wouldn't be going home with his little boy, then there would be some very depressing days on the horizon.

Stark spent the first few days there simply calculating. He was offered food by many people, including Steve, although he sent them away with the plates and asked that he was left alone. Everyone was starting to get worried – if the billionaire didn't eat soon, there wouldn't be much that they could do for Peter. He would drop dead from starvation.

"No Tony tonight?" Bruce asked as they gathered around a tiny table, which had been collected by Thor from a local shop. They refused to buy anything too lavish and expensive, in case that someone recognised who they were; however this did not stop them from occasionally moaning about their current situation. Who would want to be stuck in a country they didn't know, looking for someone who was possibly dead? Especially when they loved this person with all their heart...

"He said something about measurements," Steve replied whilst he tried to swallow a ready-made dinner, "When I went to go see him, he was asleep, and I had to wake him up just so he could say he wasn't coming. Do you think he's okay? Am I being too paranoid? He's so distant now!" It was a sad situation, since the playboy didn't even venture from his single-bed hotel room, although a few rumours had been circling that he left for a quick swim in the pool.

Their accommodation now was a measly little motel, just off the side of a country back road. It wasn't much different from the first place they stayed at, from the first time Peter was kidnapped; the only real thing that separated the pair was the fact that this particular establishment didn't have mould growing out of it. Well, aside from the damp corners that presented themselves in Bruce's room. Even now, as they sat in the little dining room surrounded by dust, they couldn't begin to imagine being stuck in that motel again.

"Of course you're not being paranoid! Tony's going off the deep-end – if we aren't careful, he might forget to drink water or something stupid like that," Natasha growled before digging into the limp ready-made mash. It was a miserable meal, and an even more miserable conversation, although they didn't have much else to talk about these days. If they didn't talk about Tony or Peter, the team would end up discussing the weather or something equally as boring.

"Leave the man alone," Thor was quick to defend the billionaire's position, despite their weak friendship, "we are all experiencing the sting of little spaceman's absence, and he feels it more than all of us combined. If we are going to call him names, accuse him of insanity, than we should not hide like cowards."

The Avengers fell silent around him. He was right, of course; they all knew about the torment Tony went through every day Peter was going, though it was much easier to forget all about it. The playboy was trying his hardest to discover their child gemstone, and bring him back to the home he loved so much, but he acted like such a recluse now that it was impossible for them to appreciate it. They wanted the old Tony back, before all this happened. Was it too much to ask for one sassy, off-hand comment or a scathing remark about their work?

The rest of the dinner was pretty much silent. Thor glared at his friends, maybe with a faint hope that one of them would apologise. But, like someone had swooped in unnoticed and stolen their tongues, they remained silent amongst the limp lettuce and the half-cooked beef, favouring instead to allow the God's glares to go unnoticed. It was easier that way.

Finally, Bruce decided to break the silence, "You know, someone should probably go and check on him tonight. Make sure he's okay and all."

"You volunteering? Because I'm not going anywhere near him when he's in this mood."

"Are you kidding me Nick? If anyone's going in there with any chance of surviving, it's Steve."

"Don't you think I've already tried? He won't talk to me!"

"Friends, friends, don't fret," They turned to Thor, who had chucked his third ready meal to the side in boredom, "I am sure that Anthony shall come out when he is ready. When do we next set off? Peter will be found soon enough, in our arms quicker than thunder claps if I have my way, and then we can forget this whole situation. Our little spaceman will never have to look over his shoulder again."

Truer words had been spoken.


	58. Save me, Save Him

Many days were spent looking for the aircraft. Calculations were correct, electrical equipment was useless – on everything Tony held dear to his heart, their precious alien was somewhere in this land. Peter was not gone. He was near; it simply took some initiative and a few complicated bits of portable machinery to find him.

The team hurtled down the boring grey roads, admiring a place they had never been before whilst their minds still circulated on the task. Even the deep blue sky and rosy red apple trees dotting the grass banks were not enough to make them smile, let alone relax slightly as they continued their journey. When would this Hell end? After all these kidnappings, after all these struggles, would they finally have a suitable environment for Peter to be raised in? Would he be happy, and grow like a normal child? Or would he find trauma in this world, only to one day disappear and never return? The thought caused shivers to travel up Steve's spine, whilst everyone else shuddered behind their individual entertainment.

"Tony, when do you think we're going to get there?" Bruce moaned when the billionaire turned down yet another road, "It looks like you're just improvising now."

"Shut up, Brucey. I don't know where we're going exactly, though I'm fairly certain we're going in the right direction now. Providing that there's no T-Junctions, cross-roads or traffic lights, of course." A mischievous grin played on his rapidly ageing face, as if the playboy was enjoying the journey, although deep inside he really just wanted to cry. There must have been a light at the end of this tunnel, even if the tube went on forever...

"I wouldn't mind so much if you had just left us to sleep a bit longer," the scientist explained whilst reading his small yellow pocket book, "I mean, a six AM start is nice, but I'd rather sleep in for eight and get on with work in double quick time. You don't look too good either – did you sleep at all last night?"

"Of course I slept. Why are you asking?"

"Because you look worse than usual," despite the light-hearted tone, Bruce noticed an almost immediate deflation within Stark's expression. The manufactured smile and synthesised happiness disappeared; in its place remained a mannequin man, one of which Banner was not used to seeing. "I didn't mean it, Tony. Sorry."

"No, it's okay. I know I've not exactly been my wonderful self, but that's just because I miss Peter so much. There's tonnes of stuff we have to do for him when we get back, like fixing those damn stairs so he can't fall down them and painting his room, though I can't really care about that until we've got him back. Do you think we're going to get him back, or am I just wasting my time?" It was a question they were all avoiding, for fear one of them would hesitate for too long and Tony's ever-vigilant eyes would pick up on it. He wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to make assumptions right now.

The scientist thought about it before finally replying, "We got him back the first time, didn't we?" Stark nodded curtly, his knuckles turning white as he clutched on the rubber edge of his steering wheel. What kind of comfort was that?

"Yeah, so?"

"So, we're going to have to rely on previous results. We'll get Peter back Tony, of course we will; after all, with you at the wheel going at least one twenty up the road, there's no way we won't be there in time." The billionaire glanced from his boring surroundings, easing his foot up off the pedal whilst his friend smiled at him. There might have been some truth to his words, even though they had not fallen out of the skies like a message from the heavens.

Hours passed with silence in the car. Silently thundering down the roads like a lightning bolt of black, the vehicle seemed to almost hum with the raw energy that was a father looking for his son. If Peter were present at that moment, and he had felt the love being emitted by the Avengers, than the child would have never felt more special. There was just no possible way.

Suddenly, Tony slammed down on the breaks. It was such an abrupt halt that Bruce's pocket book flew out of his hands, smashing on to the windshield before lightly bouncing down on the floor, a crick in its once-straight back. The scientist yelled out as the choking feeling of his seatbelt kicked in, although his friend was no longer listening to him. Instead, he stared out at the world in front of him as if something was striking him dumb.

"What the Hell do you think you're doing?! Are you trying to get us killed?! I don't think we're going to be helping anyone if we're smeared on the dashboard, do you?!" The dark haired researcher growled as he collected his broken book. Even as he spoke Stark was too busy staring at nothingness to reply – what could have made him go so quiet? Apart from the times he wanted to watch himself on telly.

In the billionaire's eyes, the road was not empty. It was dancing with a strange glaring light, which filled the smooth-surfaced tarmac as though it was a massive stage light; however, that was not what was mesmerising him. Instead the one thing that was captivating his sight, keeping his vision directed straight down the path, was a lovely woman draped within a beautiful gown. It hugged her curves generously so, in a way that made her look respectable yet appealing, whilst she pointed at him and stroked her luxurious brown hair.

"My son," her voice was soft like silk, "My son is near. Please, earth-born – save my boy. Save my baby. If...if he were to die, than everything would be lost."

The vision started to dissolve away. Tony watched as the lady became little more than granules on the floor, and admired as the light suddenly disappeared from sight. It took a little while for the shock to pass, for the muttering of Bruce to finally drift into his head.

"What the Hell are you staring at?!"

Just after he heard it, there was suddenly noise all around him. It was mostly inane screaming from the other car, which had been forced to make an abrupt halt to accommodate his breaking, although he didn't care anymore. Stark reached over, turning the key in his ignition with a smile on his face.

"We're here."


	59. Plans on Both Sides

Bruce and Tony went to work rather quickly. Whilst they set up measurement devices, attempting to see how far signals were being blocked from that area, the others set themselves individual tasks of reading maps and finding out where they were going to get some food from. It had been a while since any of them ate anything decent – there must have been a McDonald's somewhere around here.

"Tony! This machine's busted!" Banner's call was so loud it could have been heard for miles, although it only brought a smile to the billionaire's face. If the machine had stopped working that must have meant his son was near; soon, they would have the little alien back where he belonged, and there would no longer be need for careful footing. The Avengers would be able to give Peter the life he deserved.

Though, the aliens had become aware of the team's existence. They were gathered around a small television, built long ago on their own planet, to admire the way they powered through the pointless little tasks. It wasn't interesting for long but it provided some sort of entertainment for them – after all, who would be able to have fun when they were stuck on such a small little ship? That is, when they weren't trying to extract Peter's natural born abilities for themselves.

"Sir, what should we do about these foolish little earthlings?" Asked one extra terrestrial scum, before he turned to the great coffin. It was built in a hurry many years ago, in a hope that one day the last of the boy's kind would make it their final resting place, so they weren't surprised by the loose nails or splintered wood planks. In fact, if anything, the aliens felt a certain pride as they gazed down at their ancestor's 'hard' work.

Who wouldn't? After so many years of waiting, lying in the burning wreckage that was their home planet, they were about to fulfil their forefather's greatest wish, and kill the little demon that had stolen their powers. It didn't matter whether Peter was young, nor did it matter if his genes were laced with these abilities; the extra terrestrials simply wanted it back, which meant plenty of sacrifices along the line. That, of course, was only on the child's behalf.

"Well, I suppose it would appropriate to kill them," the deeper voice replied gravely, "Can't have too many people snooping about here, can we? I mean, unless we need their landscape for something in the future, we're never going to come back to this pathetic little planet are we? Besides, they don't look so tough."

Back on the ground, Bruce had set up a small telescope whilst Stark was trying to construct a suitable measurement spot. They were determined to stay there all night if need be, in the hopes that when the moon rose they would be able to see the ship, although the rest of the team were hoping for a break soon. Even Thor was becoming tired of the constant science talk and the pitifully small meals.

"Steve, Thor, will you open the trunk and get some more of those machines out?" The tycoon called as he placed a beeping contraption down, "They're heavy so, y'know, be careful and everything."

The pair rolled their eyes before doing as they were told. It wouldn't be good right now to tell him to stop, although that's all the Super Soldier wanted to do. By this point, his beloved had not slept all night, and it was becoming noticeable as the tired features and weary lines began to form on his face. When young Peter was returned, the billionaire's youthful features would come back to him.

The aliens watched closely whilst the work continued. This could be a problem. They were making their own measurements now, estimating the collective intelligence of the group and, although Thor sort of brought the average down by a few points, it showed a comparatively gigantic reading. Never before had there been such a scale to work with, an IQ rating that the extra terrestrials had been faced with, even thought they were certain they would come out on top yet again. They always did, of course.

Peter quivered in his coffin. It had been many days since he had heard the soft voice of Tony and now that it was playing over the speakers, the child could feel a shiver of excitement going up his spine. Maybe he was going to be freed after all? If the facility was anything to go by, there would be a clever scheme involved and a few betraying aliens on his side.

But nothing ever seemed to go to plan these days, since the precious gem had arrived in his little pod. Where was that, anyway?

"Come on guys; hurry up! We're doing this for Pete, remember!" The billionaire's voice was less distorted over this speaker, but no more simple to understand. It was a welcome change however, to complete silence that the child had been used to these recent days.

"Sir, I really think we should go and kill them now."

"No, not yet. They can see us quite clearly."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Wait until they're up here, and fight them off then? What if they snuck in when we aren't looking, killed the Great Canci, before disappearing off the face of the earth with our rightful property?"

Peter wanted to scream. He could feel the immense birth-power rising in his stomach, just begging to be released on these aliens' pathetic little bodies, although he fought with the might of ten men to settle it again. A fight would not help him right now – if anything, it would only ensure that he never returned to the billionaire's arms.

The next sentence sent a chill down his spine. It was a plan, one that would work to the extra terrestrial's favour rather than the good side, which made the young boy's heart weaken as he listened to it.

"We kill them at night. Humans have a miserable sense of seeing in the dark. That means we'll be able to sneak up on them without a problem, slice their heads off, and come back before the bastard notices we're gone. It's a wonderful idea right?" Suddenly, a growl sounded, like a yowl of approval. "Be patient, Canci. You'll be fed soon."


	60. Fighting Dark

Night fell quickly over Lithuania. Even though Tony was determined to finish the measurements and forced Bruce to work despite his tiredness, the pair could do very little in their limited lighting. It seemed that, for this night at least, they were going to have to abandon their experiments due to lack of visibility. Stark exhausted every other alternative until his friend finally uttered the accursed words, "Come on, Tony. We can't do anything more for him today."

The billionaire nodded with a sigh before turning away. He couldn't let his fellow scientist see his tears, not until they had Peter in their possession again, although the clear droplets were threatening to burst at any moment. Why was their son still gone? Why, of all the awful creatures out there, was his child being persecuted? He was too young to know...he was too innocent to be anything but vulnerable...

"Hey, Bruce, can you give us a few minutes?" The familiar voice of Steve drifted to Tony's ears; however it was not enough to make him turn round. Banner glanced nervously at his leader before nodding, gathering up his tools in a rushed manner so that he wouldn't be around for their conversation. If it wasn't going to be upsetting, it was going to be romantic – frankly, the man-turned-monster was having a hard time accepting their current relationship.

A few moments passed with silence amongst the two men. Even when Bruce had left, his burden clasped tightly in his arms, the pair stayed quiet whilst gazing at the twinkling stars overhead. After Peter arrived to the Tower they stared at them in a different manner, in a different way, which made them think of how many young children were on alternate planets right now. And yet...it was their son who seemed to have an army vying for his blood.

"Don't you think you need your rest?" The Super soldier eventually broke the silence, although his gaze was still locked onto the diamonds, "If anyone's going to find our son it's going to be you, but you can't think straight if your big old brain is tired. Come on; I managed to set up a tent away from the others for some peace, if you want."

Normally, the tycoon would have jumped at staying away from the others. Even though he saw them as a dysfunctional family, rife with lovable follies and enjoyable irritations, their bedtime habits did cause a fair amount of annoyance. But now, staring up at the universe around them, sleep could be no further from his mind, and the need for a tent did not arise within his interests.

"I'd rather stay out here, y'know?" He muttered whilst the soldier took his hand, "I don't want to leave Peter alone. Out in the open like this...I don't know; I just kind of feel closer to him. Pretty stupid but-"

Rogers instantly cut him off with a gentle kiss, one that radiated affection as the men's fingers intertwined and their troubles seemed to disappear. It was only a few moments of peace but in light of recent events, the amount was far more than they had received in a long time.

"It's not stupid. It's sweet. Our boy is okay though, Tony – you and I both know that, and worrying about him isn't going to make this go any faster," his words were filled with wisdom; however it fell upon deaf ears as the billionaire continued to stare upwards. Instead of listening to his beloved's speech he had chosen to listen to his heart, which was now filled with questions.

_How far was his planet? _He asked himself miserably, _was he happy there? I bet his parents could take care of him, at least up until their home was destroyed. Damn it Peter; when your back here, we're never going to let you go again._

Steve decided not to pull him out of his trance. It would only end in an argument, of which would end in someone getting hurt and an hour long silence in the morning. Thinking further ahead as he always did, the leader knew that it would hinder their rescue mission. Peter needed to be home, soon. They could afford no deviations to this investigation.

"Well, big guy, when you're ready," Tony turned to see him pointing to a single tent, set up near the cars yet still in the perfect spot for peace, "I'll be asleep in there."

With that, his boyfriend wandered off to get some rest, leaving the genius to ponder on his situation. Many evenings had been spent with a hope, a single wish that they could soon spend a carefree night together, without need for worrying or wondering where their precious child was. When they were back home there would be much catching up to do, which would most likely start in the cleaning up of Tony's room and the redecorating of Peters. Steve was, of course, a responsible man – work came before rest, and it was often much more rewarding in that order.

Finally, after about twenty minutes of standing in the growing cold, Tony finally muttered, "Okay little guy, I'm going to have to go now. If I don't then he'll probably freeze without me or something like that. Promise that we'll be back tomorrow though! Right on the ball, ready to find our little special guy! Night Pete...I love you."

Just as he was about to turn and retire for that night, Tony caught a glint of something out of the corner of his eye. He watched the edge of the field for a moment afterwards, wondering if his mind was simply playing tricks on him since he was so tired but when he saw it again, he was certain.

"Hello?" The billionaire called at the top of his voice, "Is someone out there?"

Silence reigned. Stark shrugged; probably nothing then, some stupid bird with a shiny ring maybe. He continued his journey slowly back to the tent with a happy thought in his mind, that he might soon have his alien back home and they could start looking at some proper schooling for him.

But that's when the shooting started.


	61. Unfinished Fury

Tony was blind sighted by a gunshot. He shielded his eyes, trying to alert the others before they found themselves caught in this madness, although the initial attack had already woken them. It was only a matter of time until they were rushing towards their friend; however it seemed they were unprepared for any type of fight, since all of their weapons were either back at the Tower or located somewhere in the cars.

"What the Hell are you doing?" He screamed whilst staggering forward, threatening to collapse on his face before Steve managed to catch him, "Where the Hell…wait a minute…" At that moment, the penny dropped. Why would people he didn't know be shooting at them? Why would someone be trying to kill him, when he hadn't even said two words to them? Well, aside from jealousy at his devilishly good looks…

"Tony, get back!" Bruce's voice rang above the ecstasy of chaos. It was as if he were a beacon, a shining example to them all of calm, when in truth he worked all of this out beforehand. These things – creatures, monsters, whatever you wanted to call them – had their precious Peter, and were desperate to keep their claws in him. Even if it meant killing innocent bystanders, or a concerned father-figure.

Stark was entirely confused at this point, but he acted quickly. In the blackness there was very little he could use as an improvised weapon, and even less that would actually cause any damage, although with a little time he could have crafted a primitive spear. That would not work now; against guns, a spear would be little use on their side. Unless they wanted to make the attackers fall about laughing.

"You will not take the subject from us!" Whatever was screaming, its voice peaked with an almost indescribable wail. For the thing, the death of Peter was the greatest event they could think of and, after decades of waiting, nothing would stand in their way. They were going to achieve their ultimate goal, whether or not a thousand pathetic mortals managed to get themselves killed over it.

Steve lunged forward to protect his lover, before turning around on his heels and screaming, "That's my boy you're talking about! You won't touch him – we'll make sure of that!" His words were strong, confident; in contradiction to the creature, the team were determined to liberate and love their precious alien, and to achieve their ultimate goal no lives would be lost. They were going to be the good guys in this, which was no easy feat when their rage was entirely built up against these heretics of the galactic.

This was their boy. They wouldn't lose him again.

A battle ensued, though on the Avenger's part it was more a struggle to keep themselves alive. Gunshots continued to fire, so loudly now that Tony could have sworn they were no more than a few feet away, whilst the rest of the team scattered and attempted to make it towards the cars. If they could get their guns, maybe they could fight them back? It seemed logical, a course of action that would eventually benefit them, since they possessed the greater brute force coupled with a greater capacity for mercy. The aliens might have even made it out alive, if only they would stop shooting for five minutes and allowed a suitable discussion to take place.

Bruce's suggestions never seemed to work in times of war.

Finally, they gathered their guns. Now it was their time to fight. Like a tidal wave they crashed through the field, screaming blind fury whilst shooting their weapons forward; however this sudden change in nature caused discomfort to Nicholas. What men were they turning into, when they couldn't even see through their rage? Sure, there was a little boy on the line here, and if they failed that would be the end of his life, but heroes were supposed to show mercy in the most unlikely of odds.

There were no heroes here anymore, by the looks of things. Through the din of noise, the confusion of dark, Nicholas could hear Tony shouting for his son returned and even Steve losing that air of calm. Bruce's voice raged above the rest, strained much more than the others which indicated every party involved was in serious danger, though the SHIELD director was entirely useless to fight against it. All he could do was join this misshapen, broken little family in revenge, in blind madness, for the safe return of their missing piece.

"You'll regret crossing us!" Stark was screaming as he charged through the field. The mud sucked at his feet slightly, like it wanted to slowly envelope him just as this anger was, although he kicked out at it and continued his rampage through the field. Nothing was important out here; the Ironman legend wanted to say he cared if this plot grew someone's livelihood, or that he minded if a person got upset over the destruction of their crops, however nothing could be further from his mind right now.

What did he care, if in the end his precious Peter was returned? There was always money to cover any collateral damage, always a few shiny coins or crisp notes to be spent, and he didn't mind their loss if it meant he could have the child back. What was money to the billionaire now? Without the pull of parties and lacking the enticement of bachelorettes, what else would he spend his accumulative wealth on?

As soon as they reached the end of the field, they braced themselves for the fight of their life. The soft wind brushed against their cheeks whilst the team skidded to a halt, their weapons clutched closely to their chests and eyes peering through the inky dark that hung around them. Each person was itching for a fight now, even Thor, who had so often attempted to be the peacemaker between his friends. Bruce started to lose his rage when they realised what was going on.

It was quiet. The aliens were gone.

"Come out you bastards!" Tony refused to give up, "Come out! I swear to God – if you don't show yourself right now, when I find you, there won't be much left for the others!" But it was too late. Whatever…whoever attacked them had run off scared, possibly when they realised that the team were more formidable than a few 'pathetic mortals'. Steve gazed at his lover sadly whilst the rest of the team began to calm down, and thought to himself how on earth they would get over this setback.

"Relax…they're gone." He muttered but the billionaire didn't hear. He didn't hear anything now, except the blood pulsing in his ears and his heart's screams for the return of their boy. Where could they have gone?! Where did they have him?!

"Relax? RELAX?! Are you kidding?! There's no way I could relax, not when they've run off again and have Pete with them. For God's sake Steve – I thought you were going to help, but if you're more concerned with calming me down after we've come this close to getting him back, then I don't think it's worth the-" Suddenly, mid-rant, the genius collapsed. Bruce jumped from where he was settling down, rushing quickly to aid his friend, although he found it difficult to hold back a smirk when he made out the faint outline of Tony's body, lying on the floor after tripping over something.

Rogers was more caring, even though he felt hurt at the man's words. Their hands gripped together, in an attempt to pull the billionaire up, whilst their researcher friend searched for the object responsible.

"Er…guys…we might have a problem…"

What could have possibly become any worse by this point? What, after so many hurt feelings and ruined weeks, could have made this situation that little bit more unbearable?

"Oh no…no, it can't…"


	62. Lost Hope

The team didn't leave their rooms that night. Every second on the journey was torment for Tony, who had been up for hours simply crying at the failure. How could this have happened? They were so close to him...they were just so close...

Steve tried to talk to him, but there was nothing that would console his lover. Not even the mention of home and a peace offering (brandy and bacon) could coax the billionaire out of his room, which was the only place dedicated to the memory of Peter on his plane. The super soldier grew more and more fearful throughout the night for Stark – however tears streamed down his cheeks too, when no one else could see him, and he wept for the little boy he had barely been able to know. This had all gone so fast.

"Steve, buddy?" The leader barely heard Bruce at his door, from where he sat facing one of the four walls. There was nothing on its beige surface but it served a purpose that was invaluable at the moment, as an inanimate object Steve could stare aimlessly at until the hurt went away. Though at the moment, whilst the jet continued to whiz silently through the sky, nothing seemed capable of taking away the pain.

"What?" His reply was cold, even though he didn't mean for it. There wasn't any reason for the researcher to be here, especially when he needed to undertake his own mourning, although Rogers didn't have the heart to turn him away.

"It's not the end of the world, y'know. Guess it seems like it from where you're sitting, or from Tony's point of view, but there's plenty of stuff we can do now. It's what Peter would have wanted," whilst he spoke, the usually strong voice he possessed began to crack. Familiar restraints he had put up long ago disintegrated as if they were never really there; for a moment Steve wondered if he should have said something, although his agony caused silence to reign supreme.

Bruce waited for a moment at the doorway. His eyes were red from crying, however much he blamed allergies, as the glass of his spectacles fogged up frustratingly when another bout of sadness came to live. Anything would have been better than this outcome – they said it all along, that this would happen, but no one wanted to believe it. No one wanted to listen to reason. And now...now this...

Finally, the reply came, like an angel swathed by blackness, "That easy, eh?" His friend stood for a moment, calculating his next words carefully before he let them loose.

"No, it's not that easy. It won't be ever that easy, but we've got to try. We're the Avengers and, no matter what's going on in our life, we have a duty towards the people down there."

Suddenly, his counterpart turned. The once-still air around him seemed to jump to life for that brief second, a quick movement which disappeared almost as rapidly as it had come about, whilst the glassy blue eyes stared at him in a nearly menacing way. How could he even say that? Where had he got such heartlessness? From where he sat, in this stylish beige room complete with red wall-lights and a large cream-coloured double bed, there was nothing that could have been more insulting than trying to forget about his son. That was his little boy; there would never be another one, not the same as Peter.

"So that's it then? Peter's gone, and now we've got to just get on with our lives? Like he never existed?!" His shouts were expected but no less embarrassing for Bruce. If any of the others heard this and took offence, he could find himself at the end of a rather one-sided social exiling.

"We're heroes, Steve! What else can we do? It's not their fault that this happened!" His reasoning was sound, although his steps towards the leader could have been taken as confrontational, "I know that there is nobody out there who can match up to Pete; that doesn't mean we can just stop working and leave these people to die! When we found-"

"Don't say it Bruce."

"Why not? We've got to start making plans, arrangements if you want."

"I can't take it – just don't talk about this. We can get better, I know, yeah, but there's going to be a lot of crying and a lot of grief before then."

"Do you even want to hold a service for him? I mean, technically..." Bruce's voice trailed off whilst he spoke. A single tear rolled rebelliously down his tanned cheek, as if a show of defiance for the monster that resided deep within his psyche. Steve saw this, although he was far too upset to comment on it or even think about acting like a responsible leader.

"Ask Tony when you see him. He's made it perfectly clear I think; none of us knew Peter as well as he did. He'll want to be in charge of the memorial."

Bruce nodded before turning to leave. There was no reason in continuing their conversation, considering it was only going to go one way from that point, and he knew that his time would be better spent somewhere else. Maybe Fury needed some help doing whatever? Hopefully...

But before he left, a quick message was thrown over his shoulder, "We only found the pod, Steve. Chances are little Pete is still out there, somewhere, just ready for us to get him back. Someday..."

Steve nodded with a manufactured smile on his face. However, as soon as Bruce had left his room and gone off on his own, another stream of tears started down his cheeks.


	63. Plans

Peter was insanely happy. He had heard from the alien's conversations, listening in on them whilst he tried to nurse his more recent wounds, and the idea that his beloved billionaire fought back made smiles erupt on his lips. All the child asked for was that sign – there was still a chance he and Tony could be reunited, since he seemed so willing to battle for Peter's freedom.

"What are we going to do now?" The deputy alien (as the boy believed) asked his leader, although his voice was laced by an apparent distrust, "There's no way I'm going to stand around here when those mortals think they've got the better of us. Let's fight again!" It was a battle-weary statement, made by a being that was so very tired of fighting, but his pride denied them the right to lose. It were as if he knew what the heroes were capable of or how much they missed their young visitor; maybe now they would finally understand what it felt like to be hunted? What misery it could inflict upon the prey, who just wanted to get on with their life?

"No. If we were to go back out there then all would be lost. I'm not letting that little bastard out of our sights this time, not after what happened with Horace's facility. We'll just have to let this one slide," the leader's voice was tainted by anger. Obviously the thought of retreat did not sit well with him; however there was nothing that could be done about it now. Any mortal so equipped to fight back, so armed with weaponry that it seemed unfeasible, had to be well trained in their usage.

The statement caused Peter to quiver. Lying there in his coffin which still allowed no light to flood through, the child felt the prickles of rage stabbing into his skin, like a porcupine had just rolled over his frail little body. There must have been some way he could get back home! These spineless little weasels must have possessed some notion of pride, just a small amount so they would turn this clunking ship around and go back for more. How could he ensure they would?! How could he, this small trapped alien, cause a chain of events that would lead to his release?! This was too much for him to handle.

But suddenly, he found himself struck with an idea. It was simple at first – childish, if you would believe – though Peter knew it could have been his best bet for getting out of here. As if laughing gas had been introduced to his resting place, he began chuckling to himself, and the creatures outside turned their heads to see what was going on.

Canci growled at the coffin but despite his fear, the child continued to giggle to himself. It was even joined by a few juvenile slaps of the hand, which made the splintered wood rock gently against its weak stands and forced his captors to check on him.

"What are you laughing at?" The voice said, although Peter concentrated more on the vile smell that came with it. It seemed like whatever planet they hailed from possessed no concept of hygiene, not to the extent of dental care, and caused this disgusting smell to resonate as the creature lifted his coffin lid.

Large globs of orange seeped over the side, even though this figure was in the same shape as a man. Legs, arms, a head – if it weren't for the over-grown orange coat covering his body, anyone would have believed that these two were of the same species. People may have believed that this too, was a being from their own race. However it seemed that the cosmos were unkind; this creature had no representation of humanity, apart from feeling absolute rage.

"To-knee...fight...you...lost..." the child muttered. His words had not been used for days, which showed horribly so as the speech came out broken and contorted, "Weak...race...dead...race."

The creature took offence to his words, screaming at the top of his voice, "You little bastard! We didn't lose anything! If we hadn't shot at them first, they wouldn't even know we were there. Why don't you just shut up and start enjoying your last few days?"

"To-knee...loves...me. Fight...you."

"Kid, don't even go there," this was one of the 'female' aliens, who had been listening from the other side of this metallic monstrosity, "You carry on with all this, and we're going to go straight to your 'To'knee's' precious homeland to kill him."

Success! Peter had quickly adapted to the art of strategy, and picked up tactics from a few old war documentaries Steve watched. Though his methods were...unconventional, the young alien knew that these creatures would soon give in. It was only a matter of time before his true plan was underway. This was like a delightful game of chess!

"Go...now...you're...weak..." His words were strained, gleeful; however his captors were either not bothered or too unintelligent to hear the apparent joy in them. They immediately sent one sharp slap across his face, resulting in a red mark and a few jolts of pain, before storming up towards a large dark screen in the corner of their ship. Was this what he had been waiting for? Peter watched, dumbstruck, as they reached towards the steering stick.

"We'll show you," the female growled, "We'll show you, when we've killed your precious To-knee. There won't be anything left to mourn once we're done – just a lot of blood, some ripped clothes, and one stupid little alien who caused it all."

"Yeah, we're going to go and find this bastard, just so we can see the look on your face when he's dead."

Peter, still struggling to contain his glee whilst he spoke, quickly replied, "I...double...dare...you."


	64. Home Is Where

Steve sat in the kitchen that morning, contemplating what to do next. Peter's highchair still stood rigidly at the end of the table, as if taunting him on his future decisions, whilst all the super soldier could think about was his boyfriend in the next room.

Tony couldn't go into his bedroom without remembering the alien, since so many of the childish drawings still clung to his wall. Things such as the gaming system, the moon rising and the way people moved below reminded him of Peter, about the child he had loved, who had been so innocent in his own little way. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he gazed at the paint stains on the carpet – these had been made by his angel and, at the time, the billionaire was furious at their creation. But now they were all he had left.

"Dead..." he muttered the word again, which caused Bruce to look up from his lone chess-game. Days were spent trying to forget; if Stark refused to look past Peter's absence, then the Avengers weren't going to function properly again.

"What'd you say?"

The genius looked up, although no familiarity flooded his eyes. It were as if after his child's kidnap, and after they had discovered the pod, he simply forgot who all his friends were. A moment passed before he gave a curt nod, the sunlight slowly caressing his fatigue-inflicted features.

"Nothing."

Bruce decided not to pursue the topic. After all, Tony was in mourning, so a few strange sentences or phrases here and there were expected; however the way his glassy eyes continued staring made the researcher feel uncomfortable. Even when he moved the white pieces along his polished chess board he could feel the gaze, which seemed to almost claw through his mind just as easily as it saw him play.

Finally a large voice broke the overwhelming silence, when it boomed from the grand foyer like a beacon of discomfort, "Friends? Friends? I have bought some more food...we seemed to be running low on supplies." Thor awkwardly manoeuvred his way through the disarray in the usually tidy room.

Soon after returning, Tony had decided that the Tower was in need of some amateur redecorating. His idea of it consisted of upturning unimportant documents and throwing the chairs around the place, as if the genius thought his Peter would be hidden among the clutter, whilst all the team could do was stand by and watch. Had they lost Tony forever? Was this usually suave, sarcastic son of a bitch cracked, broken?

Steve was hoping that they would be reunited again – since being his boyfriend, it seemed as though they had already received their fair share of bad news. Stark needed something to look forward to now, something that would help get his mind off their lost child and onto the grand future. The...empty future.

"Good, good," Fury was the only one to greet him, although a dissatisfied smile played on his face when he gazed at the mess, "We should start getting things back on track now. God knows how many requests I've got in from people; probably hundreds, since we've been gone so long."

Why did everyone insist on talking about it? There was nothing worse than discussing Peter, especially when a question still remained on whether or not he was truly dead. If they wanted Tony to get better, and they wanted it to happen soon, then everyone should have kept their mouths shut on the matter.

Bruce rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses, wishing that there was something he could say to make things better. Hell, they were all suffering here, but what else could be done about it? Without the pod there would be no electronic disturbances, and without them there would be no possible way to track his movements, so there was absolutely no point in starting up any other investigation. These days that was all Banner seemed useful for – he was the lab rat, who worked out new and exciting ways to find the thing Tony really cared about.

"Come on; I bet Steve will be cooking something in a bit, what do you feel like eating?" the researcher acted like he was talking to a child, rather than to his highly intelligent friend. Although by the looks of things, Stark wasn't listening closely enough to feel offended.

"Eh," his reply was lacking something – oh what was that word? – yes! An answer, that was what Bruce wanted, and his friend seemed to be incapable of giving one at the moment. The men could hear their team outside, probably trying to pack away the food before preparing yet another abysmal meal; however neither of them were listening very closely. It would only be relatively typical kitchen workings, such as Thor in his attempts to handle things or Steve having a small panic attack over the cleanliness of his utensils. Honestly, for a man who lived in the 1940's, he worried far too much about the hygiene of the kitchen.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded. For a moment Tony sprang to life, as if blessed with a burst of energy, even though both of them assumed their God-like friend had dropped something. When another crash went off into the air, this time quite noticeably from outside, there was a burning intensity in the billionaire's heart for some sort of vengeance.

"Looks like we've got more problems," Steve sighed as he wandered through the hall. It looked as though he were tired of these events, but there was always going to be a little bit of energy left in his bones for protecting the people.

A hush immediately descended over the team, only broken by the sounds of terror outside. People were most likely panicking prematurely, which was usually the case whenever something unusual happened in the world. Tony sighed; what would it take for just one week alone, where they didn't have to rise up and face some sort of maniacal force?

"Guys...what the Hell is that?"


	65. And so Starts the Battle

A large shadow descended on the Tower, whilst all the heroes could do was stand below and watch. Like a scene from Independence Day, there floated a giant ship, completely covered by a metal casing that seemed similar to the pod. For a moment Tony just stood there and gaped – what the Hell was going on?!

Peter sat within this massive construction, chained in a large machine that seemed to be a substitute for a chair. His little eyes were open, acting as though he couldn't bear to look although, in truth, the alien was more than happy to see that place again. If only he weren't trapped in this thing; there was an almost certain notion in his mind that Tony must have been looking at them now, or that he was asleep on a desk somewhere within.

"You did this," his captor's leader growled as they touched one of the beeping buttons next to them, which stood quite readily on a metallic jutting attachment, "You're going to be the reason they all die. And for what, Osmostinos? Just because you're a little thief, who couldn't wait to get his hands on our powers?" His orange, contorted fingers stroked the grey controls whist his beady eyes looked down. The leader could see the screaming people, the fleeing masses and the Tower, but none of this meant so much to him as it did to Peter. They were only specks to him, not even worth the stardust they were made out of.

Their race was pathetic. If it took their deaths to ensure the survival of his own people, then he was more than happy to fulfil his ancestor's wishes.

"What the Hell is that?" Bruce repeated himself; however no one was listening to him now. Cast in the coldest shadow they had ever been in, each member shivered as they continued to stare at this monstrosity, until finally the penny dropped. Surprisingly, it was Steve whose eyes were the first to widen, and his voice the first to shout.

"PETER!" It was so loud that Tony, who had been standing quietly next to him by this point, had to clutch his ears in some type of protection. Momentarily stunned the billionaire didn't react, before finally clocking on to what his boyfriend was raving about.

"What?! Peter?!" he shouted, although admittedly he was angry he hadn't realised, "Come on then people; suit up! It's time for us to get some payback on these bastards." A matter of seconds was all it took for the heroes to fully comprehend what he was saying, and even less time for them to rush off in search of their equipment.

Hawkeye equipped his bow downstairs, rushing out immediately despite the fact he had no shoes on, just so he could see the weaknesses this ship might have. From so far down below it was hard to see anything closely, all the little details blurred as they were high up, however since it was Peter on the line the archer tried to spy anything that could gain them the upper hand. Tony was the next out; he chose to run to the top of his building whilst clipping on the familiar bracelets, since he had already figured out they were particularly useless on the ground. JARVIS sounded over the intercoms.

"Sir, I would like to remind you that on the last occasion we used this deployment method, you very nearly died."

"I don't care; just get me up in the air before they have the chance to escape again."

"Sir, I calculate-"

"I don't give a damn about calculations! That's my son up there, and I swear to God if I'm not with him in less than thirty seconds I'll shut you down too!"

JARVIS didn't have much of a choice by this point, since its master was already rushing straight towards the window. It took a matter of seconds for the preparations to be complete but as the computer had said before, Stark almost died from the last deployment, so it was taking all necessary precautions for this one to run a lot smoother. Or, at the very least, keep him from splattering nicely over the pavement.

Window glass smashed. The sound of a strangled cry echoed in the deserted streets. For Tony, he could feel the wind rushing through his neatly cut locks and open fingers, whilst his body dropped like a rock through water. Weightlessness, formless and free – these were the things the billionaire felt like, right before he looked below and saw the pavement coming at him at breakneck speed.

"Holy Mother of-" His scream was cut off suddenly by the hugging of his body, before finally he felt the mechanical constructions of his suit taking over his natural form. It transformed his weightlessness into intense heaviness, gripping him tightly around every sinewy aspect of himself, until he felt the rockets underneath his palms and soles start to ignite.

Peter watched the madness below him. With hawk-like eyes he could see his beloved carers, who were all preparing for a fight beyond human conception, whilst the aliens behind him muttered something along the lines of, "Massive Death Tolls." It was at this moment that something clicked for him, something that the alien hadn't previously calculated or just didn't want to consider, which could possibly present problems whilst his friends were fighting for his release.

What if they lost? What if they got hurt, or crippled? What if he would be down on the ground soon enough but all around him, in the ashes of the world he wanted to belong, were the dead bodies of the people that fought so valiantly for him? A tear came to his eye before he struggled against his restraints, only succeeding in pulling his head back slightly and disabling him from seeing the rest of the scene. Now he stared at one thing, one thing which every time he looked upon it, caused great joy in his heart.

"T-tower," he muttered painfully, "To-to...To-Knee...Tony's Tower."


	66. Awake to Help

It wasn't long before a full attack ensued. The aliens, terrified when they saw Tony in his Iron suit, had decided to shoot their primary missiles down to the ground and cause some real damage, although that was far from the hero's mind by then. Debris flew from various buildings around them, destroying it in a similar way to Loki's previous battle before, and each of the team members were attempting to get any remaining citizens off of the streets. It was only Stark who continued the mad search for a weakness, something that could give them that desperate advantage.

"Please ma'am, leave the cart and follow Mrs. Romanoff," Steve said to a rather large woman, who insisted on dragging her 'weekly' load of food along the safety path, "There's nothing that-" Another missile sounded and, like an angel descended from heaven to give her wings, the lady finally abandoned her goods before disappearing down the road. If the super soldier hadn't been speaking to her, the only possible way to know she ever existed would be the annoyed and pushed aside residents.

Tony continued to fight in the sky, still searching for the weakness this thing must've possessed, whilst Peter was starting to struggle in his restraints. The alien could feel it building inside of him – everything was being targeted now to keep himself under control, much like Bruce had been forced to do for most of his life.

"Put all the energy into our missile strikes," the leader muttered as his captive fought, "If they still don't do anything, then you better hope that our old rays work. There'll be a lovely new meal on the menu for Canci if you don't do exactly as I ask!" Peter screamed inwardly; the time was coming, and there was very little he could ever hope to do to stop it.

"How many faults can you see in their defence?" Steve asked whilst the rest of the team tried to find a way to get into the air, so that they could join their billionaire friend in the battle. Down here on the floor the Avengers were of little use, save that they could make extremely excellent cannon fodder for all this debris flying off the massive buildings.

"Not a _damn one,"_ Stark screamed in reply, his weapons opening up to fire at the metal casing, as if he thought it might suddenly crack like a walnut and give them access to their son, "Will you get your asses up here?! Some more hands might crack this thing open, and then we can really get this fight down!"

But they didn't need to get inside. Peter, who had been so quietly locked up for hours now, was starting to change. Dark green eyes slowly dyed to a blood red hue as his hair became streaked, whilst the air around him started to grow cold. His captors were so happily going about their business, trying to kill everything this child had grown to love over time; however by now Peter was finally starting to disappear.

"Wait...wait...I feel weird," Tony said outside, unaware of how close he was to his son. The suit's functions were all working perfectly, so excellent that it seemed they were brand new, although the genius felt like some of his life systems were starting to falter. Even his arc reactor almost burnt his chest; it had taken months to finish that perfect design, why was it being so temperamental now?!

Suddenly, a large explosion sounded from within. The missiles stopped. Every single particle of air, which had before been flying with the attack, stilled. Inside the ship were the aliens, on the floor as if they had been assaulted in some way, whilst the contraption that kept Peter so enclosed before lay at the side. But the child was gone.

"It is time this attack became fair, don't you think?" a dark voice murmured as the smoke started to clear, "It's time I went out there, with my To-knee and my Steve, to help them. You thought you trapped me – you may have trapped Peter, but I am not he."

The leader looked up for a moment, as the sharp stinging pains shot down his side and he struggled to move towards the controls. No matter how long it took him to fight these horrible tidal waves of agony, there wasn't going to be another failure on his good name.

Blurred images of a floating entity came into his vision, before finally the voice continued, "I am...Osmostinos."


	67. One Choice

Osmostinos stood against the metal cased wall, staring at it with his blood red eyes as if it were going to burn down. Young hands stroked against its sleek surface, in a hope that he would find a weakness locked within its defences, whilst the aliens murmured and begged for relief behind him. A smile danced across his youthful – yet somehow, terrifying – features.

This alien was different from Tony's beloved. Though both parties wanted to be back with the billionaire, hidden safely in his arms so that they wouldn't be harmed again, Osmostinos was far more deadly than Peter could ever be. It was like Bruce's condition, although the child had a fair amount of control over his other half and, if he wanted to, he could gain the upper hand over this creature. It's just...these aliens needed to pay for the damage they had caused.

"In light of recent events, I would have hoped this battle would be more substantial," he muttered to the half-dead captors as he continued his search, "But cowards never give much of a fight. Hiding behind giant machines and constructions must be so much easier than actually breaking a sweat on the battlefield; your ancestors would be proud of what you achieved here today. It's more than they ever did." Such taunts were damaging to the creature's self-worth, reflected in the fact their leader gave out a groan of agony when the child spoke. Even though there was no chance they were going to take him again, he felt like they shouldn't have been lying on the floor, and instead should be fighting for their right to have control.

It took seconds for Osmostinos to abandon his quest, deciding that the best course for freedom would be the quickest way possible. His previous captors stared in anguish as the boy touched the side of the wall, and the air started to chill around him to an almost inconceivable degree. It became so cold that, if a person was sitting next to him, the air in their lungs would surely become frozen, before they collapsed to the ground riddled with frostbite.

"Such primitive structure," Osmos sighed as it crumbled against his palms, hissing steam and sending great shockwaves rushing through the already disturbed air. Down below on the ground (and partly up in the air, due to Tony still searching for his beloved son) they could see the strange disturbances, noticed how the missiles stopped firing and noted down briefly that all seemed quiet overhead. Some of the Avengers took it as an opportunity to find their advantages – for example, Fury and Hawkeye were busy looking for faults within the great construction – whilst the others could only wait in anticipation. There must have been something happening; maybe Peter was free? Maybe he had found somewhere to hide and the aliens noticed his disappearance, before abandoning their controls in search for him? If that was true then they had a slim chance of finding their child, of finding the missing piece; however no one could move from their positions. It was a crippling fear that stopped them.

Peter could be dead right now. They could've failed him already, and this whole fight was just a pathetic, pointless pastime until they found out the inevitable truth. Stark would've been devastated for years to come whilst the others, no matter how frequently they busied themselves or how many times they became intoxicated, would never be able to get rid of the image of their failed mission.

Suddenly, Tony darted forward in the sky. Steve, who had been impatiently waiting below, watched as his boyfriend flew through the clear blue air, towards the deadly mechanical beast that had been firing at them not too long ago. A thought went through his mind; what was he doing? Was he hoping to charge at the thing, instead of battling back any possible missiles?

That was when they saw it. The falling debris landed like an asteroid from the sky, which resulted in the already damaged abandoned cars being thrown backwards like ragdolls, and a sudden chill fell across the Avengers. What was happening? Only Bruce guessed what was going on, and that was only after he had looked up to see the familiar frail body being lifted out of the unfamiliar hefty ship.

Around Peter, a ball of pure energy seemed to be active. It was so strong that Tony could not go too near it, as his suit's defences and shields began to deplete, which forced him to stay a good twenty feet away from his beloved alien. Peter's eyes were the terrifying blood red he dreaded, his hair streaked with gleaming gold that signified such horrendous changes, whilst the usual curiousity that plagued his nature had been replaced with an almost deadly seriousness. The youngster's arms outstretched towards the hero, before he spoke in a tongue that for this brief moment only Stark could understand.

"You!" His voice vibrated with an ancient energy, one so strong that it rattled the large buildings around him and shattered some of the Tower's windows, "I sensed a fire within you when we met, and your features resemble my own father's! Now, I know that I made the right choice when my powers instinctively brought me here – you fight for the one you call Peter, and Osmostinos shall be by your side whenever you require me."

Tony felt somehow humbled by his words. It was unlike him, to feel something for a child, even though in this case the boy was hardly any ordinary child. No other infant the billionaire had met could suspend themselves over such a large drop (some hundred feet in the air) and seemingly suffer no strain, but then again no other child had arrived in the Tower and caused so much of a stir within its structures. Like a man possessed the genius moved forward, not caring for the warnings flickering on his screen, as Osmos continued to stay in his position.

"Pete; I don't care about that," his words were soft, affectionate, "I don't care about anything like that. I just want you home. I want _you_ to come back."

For a moment, the alien faltered. His eyes flickered from red to the loving dark green, and his hair's streaks became slightly less highlighted. The effects could've caused him to plummet to the earth if he didn't gain control of it again.

All was calm for a brief time. It took a good few minutes for any of the Avengers to breathe out a sigh of relief and longer for the alien to slowly descend back to earth, but they should've known that wouldn't be the end of it.

The leader within the ship had spent that whole time slowly crawling to a locked cage, which growled menacingly as he approached. It took just a gesture, just a quick movement, for the metal barred door to suddenly spring open.

"Canci," his voice was as loving as Tony's had been, "Go, and fight for us. Fight on the ground, where we couldn't go. Kill Osmostinos...do it for us."

Whilst the giant cat-like creature prowled, freckled with orange spots and fierce yellowed teeth, the other aliens were managing to crawl towards the controls. A button was clicked before the ship shuddered with immense power, crying out in seeming pain as Canci moved towards the open space. It sniffed once...and yowled.

A scent. A delicious, young scent. The ship around it came to life all of the sudden, its missiles and rays jumped to become extra deadly, as this creature jumped from the ship and fell directly to earth. The Avengers only saw a glimpse of orange before its paws smashed onto the ground, although they were quick to act once they realised what was going on.

By that time, it was already too late.

Osmostinos knew what was happening. He knew that Canci was after his blood, and the firing missiles and rays would destroy everything until he became captured again. So now, there was only one option.

One choice – save himself, or save the world.


	68. Last Time

Steve and Hulk were grappling with the Great Canci whilst the others set to work deflecting the missiles and rays. Hawkeye busied himself with hitting them mid-air so they would explode away from the earth and Osmostinos, who was still thinking to himself about all the details he had missed, started to contemplate his final movements to end this war. Even as he did so Tony, with a terrified look dancing in his eyes for the fate of his young son, was gripping him tightly from behind and trying desperately to pull him away from the battle.

Romanoff dived away from a firing missile and let the construct behind her explode, which was not a good idea as it brought a massive skyscraper shuddering to its knees. Its loud screams through the empty streets were almost as heart-breaking as that of a person's, causing her to begin another sprint towards Fury, whilst he was so valiantly trying to determine what would be best to end this fight with minimal damage. The beast's cries from the other side of the place were so deafening that no one could hope to think straight, let alone make a decision that would potentially determine the fate of the earth.

"Come on Pete, follow me!" Tony shouted above the noise, although his voice was particularly strong that day, "We've got to get you away from here. I've got to get you away. Come with me; we'll find you somewhere to hide in the Tower – come on!" His desperate orders fell upon deaf ears as the child continued to watch Thor smash the missiles firing at him, an unusually solid reaction in the light of such dangerous weaponry. What kind of madness was this? Why would anyone waste their energy on him, when all he seemed to do was get kidnapped and cause a near worldwide search? It was only after Stark's hand gripped his did he react, and that was to shake the billionaire away in defiance.

"There is one decision to be made," he muttered in his language, however Tony's temporary ability to understand had vanished, "I have the choice to save my own life or save several billion others. This brief time I have spent with you taught me one thing, if not a dozen other little lessons – the path of a hero is filled with hardship, and I must be the one to take it now. The ultimate sacrifice...but for you, To-Knee, Tony, a sacrifice that I am proud to make."

Although he could not understand, a strange feeling of utter despair ravaged the genius' insides. It might have been the way Osmostinos moved, the way he spoke in such a grave and power-struck voice, however he did not ponder on the reasons for his sudden upset. All he knew now, despite the fact that the world would surely be saved from it, was that he was going to lose his Peter again, and this time there would be no chance of getting him back. A hand grasped the child's arm as a desperate voice shouted above the thundering noises.

"No, Pete!" Stark screamed, "You're not going anywhere again! You're going to stay here and I don't care about the rest; you're going to be safe, with me!"

He knew that his cries were pointless. He knew that, deep down in the mind of his young Peter, there was no turning back. For all he had gone through over the past few months the child was about to end it all, but not in a way that would make anything better for the billionaire. In fact, after today, there would be nothing else except pain.

Steve suddenly gained the upper hand on Canci, and gripped him behind his orange-coated head. Its colossal frame shuddered in a gut-wrenching yowl before it charged towards a solid brick building, which had been recently constructed after an apparent lack of job opportunities for youngsters, and the super soldier realised that his support for the manufacturing might have been a little ironic now. It was all he could do to keep on it, like a cowboy in a rodeo, as it continued to race forwards and scream its blood curdling cries.

Hulk raced in front with his powerful green-tinted legs, instantly gripping his friend from the beast's back and throwing him to the side with childish ease. Anger had been swelling up inside the radiated monster for weeks now and, in light of recent events, he was not about to let anything live that threatened to hurt Peter. Bruce was still in there, somewhere, in the driver's seat to attempt complete and utter tranquillity for the boy they adored so much. A second passed it slow motion when Canci crashed into the side of the wall, with another single howl uttering from its lips, and blood spattered against its well-groomed orange pelt.

Dead. In a second, a moment, a brief period in time; the creature from galaxies away, its teeth and nightmarish appetite feared by all of Peter's kind, perished. There was no amazing ending for it, nothing so dignified as its brothers and sisters, except for a crazed position to fall in and a respectable closing of its eyelids for the last time. Steve was careful to check it was truly dead before crying out victory, just before another missile hit the ground near him and (with a look towards Hulk for confirmation) they charged back into the thick of the fighting.

"Please, Pete," Tony pulled his soft-body child back, who was still under the spell of his own genetics, replacing his personality with that of Osmos, "Don't do it. Stay here."

For a moment, the blood-red eyes flickered and were instead the dark green Stark remembered. The familiar smile of his son descended upon the soft features and he stroked the man's face, in an attempt to calm him of the next events. There would be much time to mourn him but there was no time now – the aliens were still in control until their ship had been destroyed, and only one thing would ever destroy their monstrous craft.

"We...live...peace..." he murmured quietly, "Peace...is...given...by...strength. I...am...peace...but...you...are...live. Protect...them. We...are...thank...full."

With that, the eyes returned to their other state. He pried away Tony's caring arms before turning and lifting himself from the ground, palms pointed upwards to the sky as he travelled through the chaotic air, and a dread building in his young heart for what came next. He had never died before.

What happened was a blur. The heroes barely saw their precious alien and, when they did, it was all too late. Like a scene from Independence Day his young frail body charged upwards, smashing into the metal casing of the monstrosity above, which sent little bits of it flying along with a pain-stricken howl. They would've thought Peter made it – he did, after all, have a telepathic shield around him – however soon enough they saw his body drop from the sky, lifeless and limp, whilst above him the ship began to break apart. The aliens inside gripped onto each other in fear.

"I told you this was a bad idea!" one screamed, "I told you this little nightmare would be the death of us!"

"Will you just shut up and-"

Suddenly, the ship exploded. Large bits of casing flew through the air, soared past the skyscraper's windows and, conveniently, found their way into the waiting ocean around them, easily swallowed whole by the vast expanse of water. No one could pay attention to that though as they watched their innocent child falling through the thin oxygen around him, and it took a good few seconds for Tony to fire up his suit and catch his baby mid-descent.

Peter's limp head rolled on the billionaire's metal-coated arm whilst he gently brought him to the ground. His skin had grown a clammy grey already and the usual warm glow was gone, in addition to every ounce of warmth in the child's body. The team were quick to join the billionaire's side as he set the boy down on the frozen ground, his cries filled with heart-breaking pleas.

"Wake up, please," he shouted but Peter's eyes did not flicker, "Wake up! Pete, don't do this to us! Don't go! Please...just open your eyes!" It was useless. Around him the others began to get tears in their irises, slowly dripping down their cheeks as they stared at the two-year-old, who not too long ago had been happily playing in the Tower's halls. Even Hulk's were inflicted with sadness but not quite tears, despite being a creature of pure rage.

Steve put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder and wept. There was nothing they could do, no amount of shouting that could be done, to ever change the reality of what had happened here. Even as the debris of their short battle fell about them, little bits of fiery ash dropping to the home they cherished so much, there was no reason for them to celebrate. They had ultimately failed.

Peter was dead.


	69. Almost Time

The team were in tears outside their Tower. In front of them, lying down in a frozen position, was their young alien, who had sacrificed himself to protect their home world against his enemies. Around them circulated ash, debris and even a few bits of flamed orange skin although no one was paying attention by this point; a few citizens that sought refuge in the buildings slowly tiptoed out, as silent witnesses to the little boy's death.

"I can't believe...I just can't..." Fury said in a mixture of sadness and disbelief, his voice etched with an unleashed anger, "All that time...all that time..." It was not simply that he thought a portion of his life had been wasted on the alien, rather the opposite – he knew, if given the chance, that he would charge blindly to Peter's aid again if he could.

"No Pete," Tony gripped the child closely to himself as he continued to cry, however mostly his anger had subsided. There would never be another one like his precious son, no one who could match his potential or his curious nature, and he refused to let the child slip away so quietly. The people around him were shocked to see such a reaction but no one commented, since they could feel great sadness resonating within their heroes, indicating that they were far closer to Osmos than they understood. If only they could have known...

If anyone were in the Tower, they would have seen the pod, which was sitting happily against a wall in the foyer. Its metal casing was untouched by dust or anything of that nature; it was almost as if it were other worldly, impervious to the touch of this world, regardless of the fact it came from the same universe. After the death of Peter it seemed to have become as restless as an inanimate object could get, and rattled slightly against the wall like it was currently in an earthquake, albeit a rather small one.

"Please, wake up..." Stark put his lips to Peter's head in a gentle kiss. His skin was cold, frozen, as if he had been dead for hours rather than a few seconds, whilst Steve's hand continued to hold his boyfriend's metal-clad suit, "I need you, Peter. I love you."

At the same moment the words left his lips, the pod sprang to life. It shuddered with an untold energy before bursting through its previously useful resting place, and hurtled towards the team that mourned their passed comrade so respectably. A small crowd had gathered by this time to silently witness their pain, their struggle, although it was soon separate by an invisible force as the pod neared its owner. It seemed to move with a will of its own – suddenly, like it was a person instead of a transport system, it seemed to care for the deceased, which was about to become all too clear for the grievers.

Tony was brushed away from his child. He struggled valiantly against the force, screaming for whatever it was to leave them alone and let them be together, even though there was a reason for its presence. Steve was also pushed back beside the billionaire, more respectably however, whilst he dragged him in his massive suit to stand in awe with the rest of the tear-stained team.

Above them sat the pod, in all its glory. The metal casing glinted off the slowly growing sunlight as if it were harnessing its energy, before it shone down gently on the child's body below. Around that was a sudden swath of beauty, peace; it was so strong that even the team felt enthralled by it, like everything was going to be alright.

What was going on?


	70. Open

The pod slowly cracked open as it floated in the air, allowing a flood of light to descend over each team member. Their silent witnesses were stunned into that state, a message of confusion never uttered past their lips and yet known, whilst all Tony could do was stare at this contraption. His precious Peter had arrived to this place in that thing – for all he knew it could have been his life-force, and now they had failed to protect the one person it belonged to. They could have been facing death right now, monstrous rage from an alien transport system, although he was more shocked at his reaction to it.

He was glad. Without the precious child he fought so valiantly to release, there was nothing else worth going on for. Two things remained now; his life, shattered in a way that he could not fix, and Steve, who would most likely be in the same state he was.

Suddenly, several angelic forms started to take shape. From the light their limbs were formed, taking each gentle ray in a way that no one had witnessed before, before their details started to be softly sculpted by a heavenly artist. Stark watched with fear rising in his gut, even though the main thing in his mind was of Peter, whose body was dangerously centred underneath this odd occurrence.

"What the Hell is going on?" he muttered to his boyfriend, as if he had all the answers. In truth Steve was just as confused as he was, more so maybe, since it was hardly like the American hero was winning any intelligence contests, and his specific education had taken a greater toll on his overall knowledge than they knew. He stared mystified with the others, silent whilst these angelic manifestations started to dance around his son and act like they were performing some sort of ritual.

It was Thor who shouted after minutes of droning quiet, "Leave him alone! Can you not see that he has suffered enough? Allow us time to mourn our fallen!" With all his strength, he threw his hammer at them though it passed through almost leisurely, not even injuring the creatures as they continued to take form – actually, if anything, it only drew their attention to the waiting team, and a voice sang in the air. So harmonious was this voice that they thought, for that brief moment in time, that they had died as well, and their reward for such courage during their life had finally been given to them. In reality it was not the sweet embrace of death they felt; it was the voice of Peter's mother, who had long since passed.

"You have saved him!" Tony's brow furrowed in confusion since their child laid there, dead in every sense, "You saved my baby, my son, my Osmostinos!"

Thor thought hard for a moment. He looked at the beautiful woman being shaped from the light, her curves heightened by the fact her hair bounced so carelessly over her shoulders, whilst around her developed a beautiful gown of pure silk. Before, on her own planet, she was known as a goddess, a living deity, given that her exquisiteness could have been considered other worldly.

"But...but the spaceman has..." he couldn't even bring himself to say it, allowing his voice to trail slightly before he came back to course, "We failed the spaceman, and failed to preserve him in a better way. We have disgraced our status as heroes, since we cannot even seem to protect our own when there is nothing we want to do more." The men of the crowd were almost mesmerised by Peter's mother's beauty, which was probably a reflection on their easily persuaded minds. She waved one hand down – a long trail of silk followed it slowly, airily, like nothing had happened and she was truly standing there, not floating on a non-existent floor.

"I sent my son into the vast outlands, knowing full well I had no option where he travelled to," she explained as the heavenly spectres started to descend to her child's body, "His powers were gifted to him by our gods, and he himself must be some sort of angel. He touched my life, our souls live on through him; Osmostinos isn't dead and you have not failed him. Wait, and watch."

Suddenly, the light started to caress the deceased. His features were softly tickled by long tongues of radiance and, for that split second, Tony felt a strange rage clawing at his insides. Why were they touching him? What were they doing to him? How could he be sure that these manifestations weren't trying to take his body away, so that they would be able to keep him with their ancestors in some tradition? The billionaire deserved to put him to rest – after all he had been through, he deserved to mourn Peter in his own way.

But he was glad that he hung back. After a few minutes of this ritual, which soon started to become louder over the course, they sang a song that could only be described as absolute perfection. Its harmonious trill seemed to seep into the bones of everyone watching, everyone waiting, whilst they happily went about their ways, so loudly and strangely caressing a child that was dead. Tony leaned forward as their hands suddenly stroked his face.

A ball of white light jumped out of his mouth. In a second he breathed, his glow returned to his cheeks, and everything around him disappeared like it had never really existed. Peter gasped out to the tune of their song, "_The boy born sleeping will bring about the end, but to another world he will defend."_

Steve was the first to rush forward. His large arms gripped the precious little life-form with such passion his eyes looked like they might pop out, although there were cries of complete joy when the boy saw Tony.

"DADDY!"

And so, to the sounds of excited cries and cheers from around them, the billionaire took his Peter from Steve's arms...and hugged him.


	71. Goodnight Peter and Sweet Dreams

"Alright now, settle down kiddo," Steve grappled with Peter, who was playfully jumping around his room in bright blue kangaroo pyjamas. The child slipped through his father's arms easily, as if he was made of cotton, and jumped onto the large double bed Tony had brought in during the early morning.

About two weeks had passed since the alien's brush with death; it seemed to have not affected him drastically since he was still so energetic, albeit he suffered from intense night terrors now. His fathers were worried for the loss of sleep but in light of recent events they weren't too worried, often commenting to each other how it would eventually settle down and the memories lost to happier times.

Finally, Peter became bored with his game of disobedience. The super soldier lunged down playfully when he noticed a falter in him, before he threw the child in the air and let him squeal with glee. His joyful cries seemed to light the abysmally bare room, which still required extensive re-decorating since they couldn't decide on an appropriate colour. Steve wanted blue whereas Tony wanted a stylish black and red combo, whilst the others wanted them to pick something and get on with painting.

"Daddy!" the alien screamed when his beloved billionaire entered the room, closely followed by a long line of the Avenger's team. He flashed a smile at his son before closing the grey curtains, which hung loosely on a huge double-spread window, strategically placed to shine on his new bed. The other members started to swarm the already riled toddler in a new ritual – goodnight hugs, kisses and, for Bruce, mutterings of their lesson schedule for the next week. Steve pushed him aside with a smile on his face.

"You'd be surprised how quickly he can get excited," the super soldier gazed lovingly at his boyfriend, who was busy turning off some of Peter's toys, "I tried to read him a story but he started screaming when I got to the Gruffalo bit. Might've scared him."

The child shouted in a protest; however it was true in some respects. As an infant he wasn't about to be rational when he was told about a mythical monster, despite how high his IQ stretched and what dreams his fathers – no matter how different they both were – had for him.

"Well, that's going to be a story to read around noontime then. Come on Pete, get your head down and try to get some sleep. Daddy's going to have you up early so we can go get your new room paint."

"I thought we agreed we're putting that down to a vote?"

"Yes, my friend; you promised that this matter would be handled in a suitable fashion, an exercise of democracy as you called it."

"I was going to but-"

Peter looked up at him with big heavy eyes, glimmering lightly in hope and innocence, which immediately caused Tony to sigh, "Fine, fine. We'll put it down to a vote tomorrow after Pete's had his breakfast. Come on then you guys, we should go and leave the little guy to sleep."

Steve raised his eyebrows at the billionaire, although he kept his mouth shut. There was a worry for him that Stark would eventually slip back into the previous routine, where he would take their precious angel into his room and let him sleep in his bed. It was not fair on the child – Peter needed to become used to his own surroundings, instead of the inside of his father's grand chambers. This thought reminded the super soldier to begin moving his own bed-things in...

"Daddy..." the alien moved out of his bed just in time to grab Tony's hand, and the billionaire's heart almost melted as he saw how small they were in comparison. His youthful details may have returned in the absence of stress but now, looking down upon the long childish fingers clasped tightly on his index, he felt the joy of age within him. He felt the fatherly affection that most men experienced when looking at their hope, their sons and daughters during the most naive of their years.

"Hey, bucko, we'll see you tomorrow," his promise was laced with regret, and he wondered to himself whether he actually wanted to leave the boy alone, "I'll come get you at nine so you can have some breakfast. So if we're getting up that early, it's time for bed now!"

The child moved back into his bed with a sad look playing on his soft details. He wanted to be with his father, to play a game and not have to worry about the nightmares that plagued his sleep, even though he knew it would be detrimental to his health. Tony was right, again; they were going to have to get through the night to have a good morning, just as the balance of nature intended, despite the fact the boy had not long ago battled a force greater than himself.

So the Avengers quietly filed out of the room (knocking over new pictures and managing to topple a precariously balanced mountain of books as they went) whilst Peter settled down in his bed, as prepared as he could ever hope to be for the imaginary demons of his mind. It would be difficult – without Tony's protective arm over him, there was nothing that protected him from the dangers.

Time passed. Everything was silent in his little room whilst the moonlight glowed whimsically through a crack in his curtains, though he was too scared to look at the silvery strip. His eyes finally began to droop just as he heard the door creak open, and his body was lifted by someone with the strength of ten men, it seemed.

"Sorry about waking you up Pete. I just...I just didn't want to leave you alone," Tony's voice was soft when he took his child, which was reflected in the way he gently handled him, and whispered how much he loved him before taking him to his room for a decent night's sleep.

Old habits die hard, I suppose.


End file.
